Technology News

Technical News - 08 January 2012

2012-01-08T07:59:00.001-08:00

Giffords comes home to mark Tucson shooting anniversary
January 8, 2012
TUCSON, Ariz (Reuters) - Representative Gabrielle Giffords makes an emotional homecoming to Tucson on Sunday, reconnecting with the city rocked a year ago by a deadly shooting spree that left her gravely wounded.
Onkyo's new iPad/iPhone speaker sounds sweet
January 8, 2012
A speaker dock for iPads? Onkyo has one, and it's a winner.
SOPA Makes Strange Bedfellows
January 8, 2012

davide marney writes "What do 1-800-Contacts, Adidas, Americans for Tax Reform, Comcast, the Country Music Association, Estee Lauder, Ford, Nike and Xerox all have in common? According to OpenCongress.org, they all have specifically endorsed H.R. 3261, the Stop Online Piracy Act. A total of 158 corporations have signed up in favor of the bill, and only 87 against. $21 Million has been donated to Congressmen who favor the bill, but only $5 Million to those against. Thanks to OpenCongress for these insights. This goes a long way towards explaining why this bill has so much traction, despite all its negative publicity."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Republicans get another chance to pounce on Romney
January 8, 2012
CONCORD, New Hampshire (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidates stepped up their attacks on rival Mitt Romney in a televised debate on Sunday, just two days before voters in New Hampshire head to the polls, and the front-runner mostly weathered the attacks.
Strike Knight for iPhone and iPad
January 8, 2012
Strike Knight looks to liven up its basic gameplay with achievements that you can unlock with feats of bowling skill -- picking up the seven-ten split, for example, or bowling an entire game without any open frames.
Extreme Networks Prepares to Ship 'World's Fastest Ethernet Switch'
January 8, 2012
The BlackDiamond X8 takes up one-third of a data centre rack and has a switching capacity of over 20Tbps, or 1.28Tbps per slot.
Where Were the Robots In Fukushima Crisis?
January 8, 2012

mdsolar writes "When the huge Fukushima nuclear disaster first started, many on Slashdot were calling for robots to come to the rescue. This is the story of why our overlords were caught napping. Not to worry though, ¥1 billion has been allocated to correct the robot problem. They will be properly welcomed."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Arab League meets on Syria as peace mission stumbles
January 8, 2012
CAIRO (Reuters) - Arab League monitors will say on Sunday that Syria is failing to honor a promise to end its crackdown on peaceful protests, Al Jazeera reported, as Arab states met to discuss how to strengthen the mission.
U.S. will have world's strongest military despite cuts: Panetta
January 8, 2012
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Leon Panetta cautioned global rivals on Sunday not to misjudge U.S. plans to slash military spending over the next decade, saying America would still field the world's strongest military and nobody should "mess with that."
Get retro with these black-and-white iPhone games (Appolicious)
January 8, 2012
Appolicious - Sure, there are plenty of eye-popping games to choose from in the App Store that are filled with vibrant colors that take full advantage of the great resolution the iPhone offers. But then there are games were simplicity reigns; where a simple black and white color scheme is all you need to have a good time. Here are five interesting black-and-white app games worth checking out.
Insight: On uneasy ANC centenary, a call for cleansing
January 8, 2012
BLOEMFONTEIN, South Africa (Reuters) - A black bull bellows and snorts in its death throes, sacrificed with a ceremonial spear in an age-old African cleansing ritual to ward off evil spirits and appease the souls of ancestors.
Chance To Snap Up Your Own Observatory
January 8, 2012

Hugh Pickens writes "Like to own your own five-story observatory equipped with a 12" Meade Schmidt Cassegrain catadioptric telescope and a 20-inch Shafer-Maksutov telescope — the second-largest of its kind in the world? Well, there's one for sale at Marina Towers in Swansea, at an observatory that could be Wales' largest telescope. The Swansea Astronomical Society moved out two years ago, blaming increased rent and other costs. So the city council has asked interested parties to submit their proposals and financial offers by the end of March. Brian Spinks, the chair of the society, says the extra rent and running costs meant the society's members would have had to find around £40,000 over the next 10 years. 'The members can no longer be expected to finance such a public presence from their annual subscription. If we had to find £40,000 over the next 10 years it would kill the society.' The observatory was built in 1988 and includes a domed roof, an access tower that houses a spiral staircase, a stained-glass roof by artist David Pearl and panels of carved poetry by Nigel Jenkins. 'We'd like to see a mixed-use development that incorporates features of the existing observatory building,' says Coun Gareth Sullivan, Swansea council's cabinet member for regeneration. 'Bringing the observatory back into use would add even more vitality to the promenade.'"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Liveblogging the NBC News/Facebook debate on ‘Meet the Press’ (The Ticket)
January 8, 2012
The Ticket - Can it be? It's the last debate before the New Hampshire primary -- and a sleepy press corps has assembled in a filing center in Concord, N.H., to chronicle the event. There will be sleepy candidates, too: Yahoo News saw Rick Santorum arrive at his hotel lobby after 1 a.m. ET last night. During the [...]
China loan growth quickens
January 8, 2012
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's banks ratcheted up lending in the last month of 2011 on the back of stronger money supply, reinforcing perceptions that the central bank is gently easing policy to cushion the impact of the global economic slowdown.
CES not always the greatest guide for commercial success
January 8, 2012
Excitement? Attention? You bet. But a look at recent hot items or trends heavily featured in past shows has found that after the buzz from Las Vegas fades, commercial success can be hard to achieve. So what does that mean for ultrabooks and smart TVs?
Leaked Memo Says Apple Provides Backdoor To Governments
January 8, 2012

Voline writes "In a tweet early this morning, cybersecurity researcher Christopher Soghoian pointed to an internal memo of India's Military Intelligence that has been liberated by hackers and posted on the Net. The memo suggests that, "in exchange for the Indian market presence" mobile device manufacturers, including RIM, Nokia, and Apple (collectively defined in the document as "RINOA") have agreed to provide backdoor access on their devices. The Indian government then "utilized backdoors provided by RINOA" to intercept internal emails of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a U.S. government body with a mandate to monitor, investigate and report to Congress on 'the national security implications of the bilateral trade and economic relationship' between the U.S. and China. Manan Kakkar, an Indian blogger for ZDNet, has also picked up the story and writes that it may be the fruits of an earlier hack of Symantec. If Apple is providing governments with a backdoor to iOS, can we assume that they have also done so with Mac OS X?"

Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Partner Communications chairman to step down
January 8, 2012
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Ilan Ben-Dov plans to step down as chairman of Partner Communications , Israel's second largest mobile phone operator, the company said on Sunday.
CES 2012 kicking off with OnStar press conference (Sunday, 7pm PT)
January 8, 2012
Join us here at 7pm PST for our live blog of OnStar's CES press conference.
CDBurnerXP 4.4.0.2905
January 8, 2012
CDBurnerXP is a free application to burn CDs and DVDs, including Blu-Ray and HD-DVDs. It also includes the feature to burn and create ISOs, as well as a multilanguage interface. Everyone, even companies, can use it for free. It does not include adware or similar malicious components.
North Korean Nuclear Facilities, From 30,000 Feet
January 8, 2012

Harperdog writes "Niko Milonopoulos, Siegfried S. Hecker, and Robert Carlin analyze terrific overhead photos of North Korea's nuclear facilities, discussing the rate of building and what the photos show. Also points to options for dealing with North Korea and their energy needs."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Cobra JoyRide transforms Android phones into driving machines
January 7, 2012
Plugging an Android phone into this car charger automatically triggers a car mode interface.
Microsoft Scraps 'Where's My Phone Update?' Site
January 7, 2012

An anonymous reader writes "Microsoft disappointed some Windows Phone users on Friday by saying it would stop providing specifics about who will get software updates and when, and announcing vaguely that a new update is 'available to all carriers that request it.' The update fixes a few issues, including one that caused the on-screen keyboard to disappear and another that caused problems with synching Gmail. Eric Hautala, general manager of customer experience engineering for Windows Phone, said Microsoft will no longer say when people will get updates based on their country, phone model and carrier."

Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Olympus eyes $1.2 billion suit, president may resign
January 7, 2012
TOKYO (Reuters) - Scandal-tainted Olympus Corp is considering suing current and former executives for compensation totaling about 90 billion yen ($1.2 billion), while its new president is considering resigning, a source familiar with the matter said.
Microsoft Server and Tools marketing chief to leave the company
January 7, 2012
Microsoft veteran Robert Wahbe is leaving his post as head of Server and Tools Marketing next month.
Skype exec flies the coop to join Urban Airship
Urban Airship has robbed Skype of some serious executive talent. Christopher Dean, formerly Skype's chief strategy officer and the company's global business development head, will now be Urban A...
CES 2012: What we know so far
January 7, 2012
The 2012 Consumer Electronics Show doesn't officially open until Tuesday, but that hasn't stopped a flood of product announcements and leaks. Here are the best ones so far.
Gigabit WiFi On The Horizon? TRENDnet’s Latest Networking Products Go To "Eleven"
January 7, 2012
TRENDnet is already announcing its next-gen networking products, even though you won’t get to play with them until late this year (unless you’re at CES in a few days). The company’s 1300 Mbps Dual Band Wireless AC Router (TEW-811D), and 1300 Mbps Dual Band Wireless AC Media Bridge (TEW-800MB) utilize the new 802.11ac standard,...
Nokia's CES signage remains coy, for now
January 7, 2012
We all know what's coming, but Nokia's banners outside the CES convention center veil a secret that no longer exists.
Samsung Galaxy Note megaphone a sure thing for CES 2012
January 7, 2012
Signage on at the Las Vegas Convention Center locks in a U.S. version of the Samsung Galaxy Note at this year's CES. The question is, which carrier will start selling the Android phone with the monster 5.3-inch screen.
Facebook bans browser plugin FGS, and its developer
January 7, 2012
Facebook has sent a cease and desist letter to Arkadiusz Rzadkowolski, the developer of the browser plugin Friendly Gaming Simplifier (FGS). A petition to save the plugin has been launched.
LTE-ready Nokia Lumia 900 'Ace' details spill ahead of CES
January 7, 2012
We all know that an LTE-capable Windows Phone from Nokia is imminent at CES. New information sheds a little more light on this U.S.-bound version of the Lumia 800.
Bluetooth 4.0-powered Cobra Tag G5 needs only biannual recharges
January 7, 2012
Cobra's smartphone and key ring locator get updated with Bluetooth 4.0 technology.
The smartest flat-screen thief ever
January 7, 2012
Thinner flat-screens will surely be in at CES. In this ad, for LG, a thief shows precisely how to steal one from your local electronics store.
Microsoft: It's business as usual with Windows Phone updates
January 7, 2012
'Nothing has changed in regard to how we work with carriers to deliver Windows Phone updates to our customers,' maintained a Microsoft official following a change in Microsoft's update disclosure...
Google Chrome Finally Gets Malware Download Protection
The new version of Chrome will at last include filtering against inadvertently downloading malware executables.
Facebook will be at CES 2012
January 7, 2012
Facebook may not have any physical products to showcase at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), but it will be at this year's event nonetheless. Here's what you need to know.
Motorola prepping wireless power tech for smartphones?
January 7, 2012
A teaser video by Motorola hints at a possible wireless power solution for its smartphones and other mobile gadgets.
AOC's USB Monitor Won't Need A Video Card
January 7, 2012
In-built DisplayLink chip takes over the duties of a GPU.
CES 2012 preview and Nokia Lumia 710 experiences (MobileTechRoundup show #257)
January 7, 2012
The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) kicks off in a couple of days and Kevin and I will be there on the show floor to offer some thoughts and experiences. We also have the Nokia Lumia 710 to test out.
Israel vows to hit back after credit cards hacked
January 7, 2012
JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel said on Saturday the online publication of thousands of its citizens' credit card details by a hacker who says he is based in Saudi Arabia was comparable to terrorism, and promised to hit back.
Join us for Acer's CES 2012 press conference (Sunday, 1:30pm PT)
January 7, 2012
Head back here Sunday afternoon to catch live news and photos from Acer's press conference at the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.
World's largest passenger plane may be unsafe, some say
January 7, 2012
Some aircraft engineers in Australia are concerned about small cracks that have appeared on the wing ribs of some Airbus A380 airplanes, a report says. They're calling for the whole fleet to be grounded, but Airbus says the cracks are harmless.
Threadsy's gone, but I'm still searching for a universal in-box
January 7, 2012
Melding multiple e-mail and social network accounts into one interface makes a lot of sense. Why can't anyone make a business out of it?
2012 will be a make-or-brake year for electric vehicles
January 7, 2012
Approximately 8 percent fewer consumers are 'extremely' or 'very' interested in buying a plug-in car, and high price tags are the main culprit.
The joy of Microsoft's 'avoid ghetto' GPS patent
January 7, 2012
Microsoft is granted a patent for a GPS that will help pedestrians avoid high-crime areas and high-heat areas. Some say this will discriminate against poor neighborhoods.

Technical News - 05 January 2012

2012-01-05T07:34:00.001-08:00

Camera industry: Beware lest Kodak's travails strike you
January 5, 2012
New technology helped cause Kodak's financial troubles. But stronger players such as Canon also must adapt to the digital revolution's breakneck pace.
Windows 8 will refresh your PC without losing your data
January 5, 2012
Microsoft will offer Windows 8 users the ability to refresh the OS to a clean state while preserving all data, settings, and at least all Metro apps.
Microsoft To Offer Flight For Free This Spring
January 5, 2012

hypnosec writes "Microsoft's Flight Simulator series, which was in dormant state until now, will see a re-launch this spring and that too for free. The name of this series will be simply Flight, and players will have free access to the digital sky with this simulator. In other words, it will be available as a free download; however, the user would need to buy additional content to enhance their experience. The content that can be purchased includes aircraft as well as new environments. Microsoft states that the most amazing part of this game is the user can experience some real life locations like Big Island of Hawaii along with 'region-specific weather patterns, foliage, terrain and landmarks.'" [Video demo here.] I'd like to know where the ESRB finds "crude humor" or "mild violence" in there.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
MetroPCS subscriber numbers disappoint
January 5, 2012
(Reuters) - MetroPCS reported fourth-quarter net subscriber growth that missed analyst expectations even as it posted a smaller-than-expected customer cancellation rate.
Prepaid carriers offer mixed results in the fourth quarter
January 5, 2012
MetroPCS and Leap Wireless provide a sneak peak at their growth in the fourth quarter, which was exactly sizzling.
Nokia prospects brighten as chairman search narrows
January 5, 2012
HELSINKI/TAIPEI (Reuters) - Struggling phone maker Nokia Oyj basked in brightening prospects for its much-hyped Windows phone on Thursday as it prepared to strengthen the hand of new boss Stephen Elop by replacing its old-guard chairman.
SugarSync updates provide Android video auto upload and batch iPhone upload
January 5, 2012
SugarSync is my favorite cloud backup, access, and sync service and today launched updated Android and iOS apps to improve the service for both platforms.
Barnes & Noble may split off Nook, cuts forecast
January 5, 2012
(Reuters) - Bookstore owner Barnes & Noble Inc on Thursday said it is considering splitting off its Nook electronic reader business and also cut its full-year earnings forecast, citing a shortfall in sales of its basic touchscreen reader.
December sales rise, but discounts hurt profits
January 5, 2012
(Reuters) - Many retailers had to discount more than they wanted to draw customers over the holidays, cutting into profits even as December sales came in slightly better than expected overall.
Barnes & Noble exploring options for Nook business (AP)
January 5, 2012
AP - Barnes & Noble said Thursday it is reviewing its options for its Nook e-book and e-book catalog business and might separate it from its core bookstore business.
Obama plans to cut tens of thousands of ground troops
January 5, 2012
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration will unveil a "more realistic" vision for the military on Thursday, with plans to cut tens of thousands of ground troops and invest more in air and sea power at a time of fiscal restraint, officials familiar with the plans said on Wednesday.
Leap Second Coming In June, 2012
January 5, 2012

Zoxed writes "IERS have just announced a leap second due at midnight, June 30th this year. Are your systems ready?" The last leap second added was at the end of 2008.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Credit Suisse sees sluggish growth in 2012 handset sales
January 5, 2012
(Reuters) - Global mobile phone shipments is likely to grow at a much slower pace of 2 percent this year as customers hold back on new phone purchases, Credit Suisse said.
Credit Suisse sees sluggish growth in 2012 handset sales (Reuters)
January 5, 2012
Reuters - Global mobile phone shipments is likely to grow at a much slower pace of 2 percent this year as customers hold back on new phone purchases, Credit Suisse said.
SEC says adviser defrauded investors using LinkedIn (Reuters)
January 5, 2012
Reuters - Securities regulators charged an Illinois-based investment adviser on Wednesday with using LinkedIn and other social media networking websites to lure investors by offering more than $500 billion in fake securities.
CES Preview: Ultrabooks to Get the Spotlight, Netbooks the Knife
January 5, 2012
It's a shame the tech industry never liked netbooks.
Google prepping cheap 7-inch Android tablet to take on Kindle Fire: rumor (Digital Trends)
January 5, 2012
Digital Trends - Google is allegedly in the process of creating a 7-inch Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) tablet that will be priced less than Amazonâs $200 Kindle Fire, reports DigitTimes. The device will purportedly arrive sometime in March or April. The news is extremely speculative, at this point, as Google Taiwan says that they have never heard of such plans.
Insight: Rivals set to pounce on Santorum's past
January 5, 2012
ATLANTA (Reuters) - Rick Santorum's last-minute surge in the Iowa caucus brought him neck-and-neck with Mitt Romney in the first contest of the 2012 race to select a Republican presidential candidate. But it came too late to attract the harsh scrutiny usually visited on front-runners.
French costs rise but demand solid at debt sale
January 5, 2012
PARIS (Reuters) - French borrowing costs rose slightly when the euro zone's second-largest economy sold debt for the first time this year on Thursday but demand was solid despite concerns the country could lose its AAA credit rating.
Europe still thumb-twiddling over Google search 'cooking' antitrust complaint
January 5, 2012
European antitrust authorities are still considering whether to bring a formal complaint against Google for search 'cooking'
Nook spinoff could be next chapter for Barnes & Noble
January 5, 2012
The bookseller may have no choice but to spin off its Nook unit as its brick-and-mortar retail unit overshadows its digital content business
ICANN to expand top level Internet domains despite critics
January 5, 2012
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - ICANN, an independent body responsible for organizing the Internet, plans to press ahead with plans to expand the number of possible website addresses despite criticism from industry and concerns from some law enforcement groups.
Ice Cream Sandwich MIA? Only on 0.6% of Android Devices
January 5, 2012
Google's newest version of its Android mobile operating system, called Ice Cream Sandwich, is only on .06 percent of devices.
Mathematics Says Romney and Santorum Tied In Iowa
January 5, 2012

Hugh Pickens writes writes "Presidential candidate Mitt Romney received eight more votes than candidate Rick Santorum or 0.007 percent of the total number of caucus votes in the Iowa caucus, 'eking out a victory' on the path to winning the Republican nomination for president but experts in statistics say Romney and Santorum actually tied. 'From a statistical point of view, you can't say Romney won any more than you can say Santorum won,' says Charles Seife, a professor of journalism at New York University who studies election error. That's because in the Iowa caucus, where voters marked their choices with check marks or by writing the candidates' names in by hand, the error rate in counting the votes, which is also done by hand is orders of magnitude above the victory margin — around 0.5 to 1 percent. There are several sources of error that could easily render eight votes meaningless." (Read on for more.)
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Researcher Devises Hard-to-detect Denial-of-service Attack Against HTTP Servers
January 5, 2012
Qualys senior software engineer Sergey Shekyan has devised a new HTTP denial-of-service (DoS) attack method which relies on prolonging the time clients need to...
Analysis: Texting profits at risk as users look elsewhere
January 5, 2012
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Text-messaging has long been a big-time profit generator for U.S. mobile operators, but they now risk losing these profits as consumers find cheaper ways to communicate.
Gartner lowers global IT spending forecast for 2012
January 5, 2012
Spending on tech products and services around the world is now expected to rise 3.7 percent from last year, a dip from Gartner's prior forecast of 4.6 percent growth.
Samsung readying Series 5 Ultrabooks with prices starting at $900
January 5, 2012
And here come the Ultrabooks. We all know that the explosion of new laptops based on Intel platform are coming to CES this month, but the leaks and announcement are already flying fast and...
Euro woes may affect Google ad sales: Benchmark
January 5, 2012
(Reuters) - Benchmark Co analysts downgraded Google Inc to "hold" from "buy," citing a decline in advertising revenue from Europe and an uncertain outlook for the first half of this year.
Is Pinterest the 'next big thing' in social media?
January 5, 2012
Some say so. The site saw its traffic grow by 4,000 percent in just six months and is now the 10th-largest social networking Web site.
Barnes & Noble eyes Nook spin-off amid sales shortfall
January 5, 2012
Barnes & Noble may have no choice but to spin off its Nook unit amid a sales miss.
EU Moves To Ban Iran Crude Oil
January 5, 2012

rtoz writes with this snippet from the BBC: "EU member states have agreed in principle to ban imports of Iranian crude oil to put pressure on the country over its nuclear programme. ... The US, which recently imposed fresh sanctions on Iran, welcomed the news. ... The Iranian state gets more than half of its revenue through the export of crude oil, says the BBC's James Reynolds. If Europe does stop buying, Iran will have to turn to countries in Asia to replace its lost trade, who will demand a discount, he adds."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Ride Along with the Memphis Police Department Precrime Unit
January 5, 2012
In the January 2012 issue of Scientific American , author James Vlahos explores the world of predictive policing--precrime, to you Philip K. Dick fans--through the eyes of the Memphis Real Time Crime center. The center assembles both real-time and historic data on criminal activity to create forecasts of where crime is likely to happen and when. Here Vlahos shows us how the the work of the center can lead to on-the-ground arrests.
[More]
Can Thompson Rejuvenate Yahoo?
January 5, 2012
Analysts split on whether the new CEO is just what Yahoo needs, or whether the move is 'deja vu all over again.'
Can Machines Predict Where Crimes Are about to Happen? (preview)
January 5, 2012
Patrolman joseph cunningham and I are hunting for criminals. not just any crooks but home burglars. And not just anywhere: although the city of Memphis covers 315 square miles, our search area has been narrowed to just a few square blocks of low brick apartment buildings in a crime-plagued part of town. The search date and time, too, have been tightly defined--Thursday, between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m. The shift begins now. “I don’t anticipate any car chases tonight, but if one happens, be sure to put your seat belt on,” Cunningham says as we pull out from the station.
[More]
The Facebook Timeline's anti-drug campaign
January 5, 2012
The Facebook Timeline is being used to promote anti-drug messages. What might future Gen Y users expect to view?
Global IT spending to grow 3.7 percent amid Europe worries
January 5, 2012
Gartner said that hardware, enterprise software, IT services and telecom equipment and services will see slower growth than the research firm projected.
Music retailers cheer first sales increase in 7 years
January 5, 2012
A 3.2 percent uptick in overall sales may not seem like much, but it's the first glimmer of hope since 2004.
Sweden's file-sharing 'religion'
January 5, 2012
An organisation dedicated to file-sharing is officially recognised as a religion in Sweden.
Ray Ozzie starts new venture Cocomo
January 5, 2012
The former chief software architect at Microsoft and Lotus Notes creator is assembling a team for a company to make a new communications product for social interaction.
U.S. 'threatened to blacklist Spain' over SOPA-style law
January 5, 2012
Spain has introduced a thought-to-be-dead SOPA-style anti-piracy law. But it now appears that the U.S. government pressured -- and threatened -- Spain's vulnerable economy.
Apple coughing up $5 million to settle patent infringement suit
January 5, 2012
Company agrees to pay $5 million to settle a suit launched by Taiwan-based Elan Microelectronics, which had accused Apple of infringing on an Elan multitouch patent.
Broadcom to unveil four faster Wi-Fi chips
January 5, 2012
The International Consumer Electronics Show next week may be a major launchpad for a new, faster generation of Wi-Fi that goes about three times faster than current gear, with at least one major silicon vendor announcing and demonstrating a set of chips for the IEEE 802.11ac standard.
Oracle gears Netbeans for building better user interfaces
January 5, 2012
With its newly updated NetBeans Java IDE (integrated developer environment), Oracle has focused on updating the tools and libraries so they can be used to build more sophisticated user interfaces.
Adding Twitter Feed on Website & Blog
January 5, 2012
Twitter is a one of the place were people look for information other than three search giant Google, Yahoo and Bing (MSN).

By following the below simple 10 steps you can easily setup custom Twitter search results for your query or search keyword in your website that may help your readers.

Make your site interesting with custom twitter search results. Easy way to setup custom twitter search results related to search phrases for your website without the help of widget. Try Now. It's interesting!

Step 1: Visit Twitter Search

Click Twitter Search URL http://search.twitter.com/ or Copy & Paste to your browser address bar.

Step 2: Use your search term

Now, I would like to display twitter search results for the term "Google". You may try with the same or any other search term you like or something related to your specific page or profile

The result URL would be http://search.twitter.com/search?q=Google

Step 3: Select your tweet language

Now the tweets are displayed for all the language. You may selcet your language using the option "Show tweets written in:" right site of the search page. I have selected "English"

The result would be http://search.twitter.com/search?q=Google〈=en

Step 4: Select "Feed for this query"

Once you are done you may click on the option "Feed for this query" in top right side of the search page and it looks like image below. Now you have a feed for the search results and language specified

The result URL would be http://search.twitter.com/search.atom?lang=en&q=Google

Step 5: Login Google Feedburner

Now login to Google feedburner using your Gmail account

Step 6: Adding Twitter search results feed

In the Feedburner dashboard you will have an option to paste the tweeter search results feed link in an text box as seen in below

On the next screen you may alter your Feedburner title and feed address and click again next. Now your feedburner would have been created for the specified title and address. You can see a screen as below image

Step 7: Feed Management for Twitter search results

In Feedburner created page you have options to move to next step to configure stats or to skip to feed management page as seen in below screenshot

Step 8: Activation

Now you can click on “Publicize” button and you will be landing to a page "publicize your feed". In this, on left side you can see services listed and from that you can click “Headline Animator”.

Now, you have a page were you can change your theme, colour code, wrap long headlines and font size and click on the Activate button as seen in the below screenshot

Step 9: Selecting Twitter search results display code

Now your "Headline Animator" is ready for your twitter search results. You may select the option select other (just gimme the code) as seen in the screenshot below and click next

Step 10: This is how it looks!

You have the code now. Place it in the website or blog HTML and publish. Now you are done. Your "Custom Twitter Search Results" will look something like below, animating real time twitter search results for your query. Here the search results are displayed for the term "Google".

Feel free to post your feedback and suggestions in below comment section.

Technical News - 26 Dec 2011

2011-12-26T07:54:00.001-08:00

Fujifilm: too early to say if it will invest in Olympus
December 26, 2011
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan's Fujifilm Holdings is watching developments at scandal-ridden Olympus Corp but it is too early to say if it will invest in the rival endoscope maker, a senior executive told Reuters in an interview on Monday.
Former South Korean first lady heads North for condolences
December 26, 2011
PAJU, South Korea (Reuters) - The widow of former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung, the author of a now-jettisoned engagement policy with North Korea, crossed the fortified land border between the two sides on Monday to pay her respects to deceased dictator Kim Jong-il.
Exclusive: Afghanistan sets ground rules for Taliban talks
December 26, 2011
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan will accept a Taliban liaison office in Qatar to start peace talks but no foreign power can get involved in the process without its consent, the government's peace council said, as efforts gather pace to find a solution to the decade-long war.
Lawsuit Asks "Who Owns a Twitter Follower?" (The Atlantic Wire)
December 26, 2011
The Atlantic Wire - Related: Moody's, Bacon, and Puppets That Look Like Lyndon Johnson
LAPD Surveillance Cameras Go Unused
December 26, 2011

First time accepted submitter Ethanol-fueled writes "Most of the surveillance cameras installed downtown and operated by the LAPD have not been working for two years, according to interviews and records reviewed by the Los Angeles Times. Many of those broke and were never repaired, and six cameras allocated to the Little Tokyo section weren't even plugged into the LAPD's monitoring bank. In one case, a 53-year-old man died after being stabbed and beaten in Skid Row — right below one of the malfunctioned cameras. It probably also didn't help that the cameras themselves were prone to being coated with pigeon droppings and the system backend being stored in a room so small that overheating was frequent. One LAPD Deputy Chief compared the situation to buying a used car without an extended warranty — 'We know the reasons it doesn't work. Now we're trying to make it work.'"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Nigeria leaders rapped after Islamists attack churches
December 26, 2011
ABUJA (Reuters) - Nigeria lacks competent leaders to tackle its security problems, a former military ruler said on Monday, following Christmas Day bomb attacks on churches by Islamist militants that killed more than two dozen people.
News to know: Facebook privacy changes, Germany patent wars, iPhone suffers in Europe
December 26, 2011
News to know -- December 20-25: A look back at the news from London, the UK and wider Europe, on all the bits that were missed during the week's coverage.
Apple Files Patents For Fuel Cell Technology
December 26, 2011
May equip iDevices with hydrogen-based power source for extreme battery life.
Customers Gleefully Mock Best Buy's $1,095.99 HDMI
December 26, 2011

First time accepted submitter Forthan Red writes "It may be a pricing bot run amok, or a ridiculously over-inflated sense of worth, but Best Buy has been offering an HDMI cable for a whopping $1,095.99 (currently sold out!). While Best Buy seems to be oblivious to the absurdity of this price for a digital cable, those posting customer reviews are not. Enjoy the mockery!" One of my favorites is: "saved a ton of money on a new TV on black Friday and decided to use the extra cash to get the best cable available. At a whopping 3.3 feet in length, this cable is no joke. When all my friends come over to watch football, they always say 'WOW what kind of HDMI cable do you have?' I proudly tell them about my audioquest diamond and its advanced features such as its Dark Gray/Black finish. It is a great conversation piece! Not to mention it fits into my dvd player and tv perfectly."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Six Free Software Packages to Load on Your New PC
December 26, 2011
Those lucky enough to get a new computer this holiday season face a world of free software choices.
2012 Will See Rise in Cyber-Espionage and Malware, Experts Say
December 26, 2011
The security industry expects the number of cyber-espionage attacks to increase in 2012 and the malware used for this purpose to become increasingly common.
Syrian tanks fire, 20 dead as Homs awaits monitors
December 26, 2011
BEIRUT (Reuters) - At least 20 people were killed as Syrian tank forces battled opponents of President Bashar al-Assad in Homs on Monday, residents said, ahead of a planned visit by Arab League monitors to verify whether he is ending a violent crackdown on unrest.
App aims to make a social network more personal
December 26, 2011
TORONTO (Reuters) - Interested in sharing more personal moments of life to a small group of friends rather than a large network? An app called Path could help.
Samsung Buys Sony's Stake In LCD Joint Venture
December 26, 2011

First time accepted submitter rtoz writes "Samsung Electronics has decided to buy out Sony's entire stake in their Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) joint venture S-LCD Samsung will pay Sony 1.08 trillion won ($939m; £600m) in cash for Sony's entire stake (50% – 1 shares) in S-LCD Corp., a venture formed in 2004 to make TV panels. After acquisition, Samsung Electronics' stake in S-LCD will be 100%. The move comes as Sony has been restructuring its TV business, which has been making a loss for the past seven years."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
The 10 biggest tech stories of 2011
December 26, 2011
The technology industry often finds itself pontificating about the future, but the busy news cycle this year gave us plenty to discuss.
Best Kindle Fire cases and covers
December 26, 2011
Looking for a new case for your Amazon Kindle Fire? Here are CNET's top picks for Kindle Fire cases and covers.
In 2011, these flying machines soared
December 26, 2011
From the space shuttle to Boeing's 787 Dreamliner and next-generation tanker, along a trio of drones, these were the aircraft and spacecraft that mattered most.
New Car Anti-Theft Device Profiles Your Rear End
December 26, 2011

Hugh Pickens writes "A car-seat identifier developed at Japan's Advanced Institute of Industrial Technology by Associate Professor Shigeomi Koshimizu can recognize a person by his or her rear end with 98 percent accuracy when the person takes a seat in his car. The bucket seat's lower section is lined with 360 pressure sensors that measure pressure on a scale from 0 to 256, sending information to a laptop, which aggregates the information, generates the key data and produces a precise map of the seated person's rear profile. Researchers say traditional biometric techniques such as iris scanners and fingerprint readers cause stress to people undergoing identity checks, while the simple act of getting seated carries less psychological baggage. Koshimizu wants to see his work available commercially as an anti-theft product in two to three years if automakers agree to collaborate. He sees possibilities of this device being used beyond auto-theft identity protection to a device for security identification in office settings, where users log on to their PCs as they sit down."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
TechTree Presents The New Year Contest: Week 1
December 26, 2011
"AVerLife Cinema (E232)" HD media player and T-shirts up for grabs.
2011 in review: ZDNet's top galleries
December 26, 2011
Windows 8 screenshots and apps were in big demand in 2011.
Aakash Tablet Available On Ncarry.com
December 26, 2011
Available again after initial stocks were lapped up quickly from the official website.
Make your old Android smartphone as good as new
December 26, 2011
The last week of the year is a good time to wipe your Android phone clean and make it as good as new.
U.S. mulling Yemen's Saleh travel request: official
December 26, 2011
HONOLULU (Reuters) - The U.S. government would only allow Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to travel to the United States for "legitimate" medical treatment, and is now considering the request, a senior Obama administration official said on Monday.
Microsoft: Five things to look for in 2012
December 26, 2011
After a year with few marquee releases, 2012 will likely bring the biggest debut of all for Microsoft: Windows 8. Keep an eye on Windows Phone market share and patent litigation as well.
802.11u, Hotspot 2.0 bring roaming to Wi-Fi devices
December 26, 2011
The number of Wi-Fi hotspots is expected to triple by 2015 with some 1.2 million venues Wi-Fi ready
CA APM 9.1
December 26, 2011
Comprehensive, powerful and confusing are the words that come to mind. All of the necessary pieces are there. Others present their case more clearly.
iOS Dominates Mobile Shopping in December
December 26, 2011
Evidently, iOS is the platform of choice for mobile shopping. At least that’s the gist of a new study by retail analysis firm RichRelevance.
Between April and December 2011, RichRelevance analyzed 3.4 billion shopping sessions and found that consumers making purchases from their mobile devices accounted for about 3 percent of total sales. In April, 88 percent of those purchases were made via iOS devices, mostly the iPhone and iPad. By December, that percentage had risen to 92 percent.
So, really, the rise in mobile shopping is being driven by iOS. Which is good news for Apple, and for retailers, as well. According to RichRelevance, the average order value (AOV) of purchases made via iOS devices is greater than those of other platforms. IOS’s AOV was $123 in December; Android’s, meanwhile, was $101.
Said RichRelevance CEO David Selinger: “The numbers across our retailing partners sites demonstrate just how powerful the iOS platform is enabling mobile web shopping and, while still below 5 percent in total conversion, mobile traffic’s doubling in eight months is a trend we only see accelerating.”
As a mobile OS, Apple’s iOS may not be quite as ubiquitous as Google’s Android, but as a shopping platform, its dominance appears uncontested.
Web gambling gets boost from Obama administration
December 26, 2011
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The Obama administration cleared the way for U.S. states to legalize Internet poker and certain other online betting in a switch that may help them reap billions in tax revenue and spur web-based gambling.
Web gambling gets boost from Obama administration (Reuters)
December 26, 2011
Reuters - The Obama administration cleared the way for U.S. states to legalize Internet poker and certain other online betting in a switch that may help them reap billions in tax revenue and spur web-based gambling.
Disaster Recovery is your transitional Cloud step
December 26, 2011
The Cloud is a much feared entity but it shouldn't be. Fear of the Cloud can cost you a lot of money and can cost you a lot of money in downtime.
Killing Environmentalism to Save It: Two Greens Call for Postenvironmentalism
December 26, 2011
Environmentalism, like politics in general, is depressingly polarized these days. On one side, alarmists like the activist Bill McKibben , climatologist James Hansen and blogger Joe Romm warn that if we don’t cut way back on fossil fuels now! civilization may collapse. On the other side, deniers, including most of the current GOP candidates for president, won’t even accept a causal link between surging carbon emissions and warmer temperatures. (Newt Gingrich advocated countering global warming in 2007 but now, sucking up to conservatives, calls global warming an unproven “theory.” )
Forced to choose, I’d go with the alarmists, who at least are guided by science and concern about humanity s long-term future. But some greens, notably Romm, are so shrill and hyper-partisan that they harm their own cause. Just as many voters yearn for a third party that transcends the fractious old politics, so I and many other people are eager to hear fresh, creative approaches to global warming and other enviro-threats.
[More]
Virtualization and Business Uptime
December 26, 2011
I'm presenting at a workshop. You're welcome to register.
CRM 2012 Forecast - The Era of Customer Engagement - Part I
December 26, 2011
I have to tell you up front - this is not strictly a forecast. There are elements of a forecast - a few likely trends for 2012 are embedded in the piece. But just so expectations are clear, this...
Top technology trends for 2012
December 26, 2011
Beginning 2012, it is expected that low cost cloud based projects will pick up, especially those which do not necessitate heavy investments
Suicide bomber kills 7 outside Iraq ministry
December 26, 2011
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - At least seven people were killed when a suicide car bomber hit Iraq's interior ministry on Monday in the latest attack since a crisis erupted between the Shi'ite-led government and Sunni leaders a week ago.
25 Top Network and IT Industry News Stories of 2011
December 26, 2011
2011 will be remembered for the death of Steve Jobs, Cisco's refocusing, IPv6's coming-out party, and more.
WD intros 2.5", 1 TB, Scorpio Blue HDD in India
December 26, 2011
The new WD Scorpio Blue 1 TB HD utilizes 500 GB-per-platter areal density and is now available in the highest capacity for 2.5-inch HDs in the 9.5 mm size, two-platter (two-disk) form factor
Keywords 101 - Types of Keywords and Search Operators
December 26, 2011
This blog post is about Keywords 101 and it includes information on how keywords works with search, types of keywords and effective easy to search keywords using Google operator. Keywords are of many types that vary to the individual human behavior. Keywords are not created they are formed.

What are Keywords?

Keywords are words that are used to search information in Search Engines that refers to a specific topic. Keywords can vary like Singular Keywords, Plural keywords, Strong & Weak keywords, Global & Local keywords, Misspelled keywords, Seasonal keywords and Long tail keywords.

How Keywords work?

When you search for information using a Keyword[1], the Search Engine looks for all the indexed pages in the database contacting the specific word or words (Called as keywords). If you try for a Keyword 'SEO and SMO' then the search engine will look for the pages that contain the words 'SEO and SMO'. Despite you will see topics that relates to only SEO and as well you will also find topics that only relates to SMO. If you need the search result that includes both 'SEO and SMO' then you have to use an advance operator " ". Here an example advance search Keyword "SEO and SMO" to check the web search results that has all words and following the exact order of words. You can read more on advance operator section below..

Types of Keywords

Keywords are of many types that vary to the individual human behavior. Keywords are not created they are formed. Sometimes Today's Keywords will not be Tomorrow's. Even there are Keywords that get disappeared. For example, if a Keyword is based on a specific technology and the technology is outdated than people will not be searching for those words and obviously the Keywords will be disappeared or can be changed to some other form based on the versions and future technology. Likewise same for many industries. Here are the types of Keywords that can give you more idea.

(1) Singular Keywords:

Form of a word that is used to search a single piece of product or niche information. Singular Keywords had to be used according to the need and generally Keyword formation should be smart.

For example, a singular keyword can be something like - book and can't be like - Cricket shoe. People will search for shoes and not shoe.

(2) Plural keywords:

Form of a word that is used to search more than one specific object or range of information. Compared to the above example Plural keywords can be used like - Cricket shoes and it is meaningful and the simple difference between the singular and the plural is an “s” or “es” at the end of the word.

Now a days, Google and other major search engines are smart enough to find the relationship between plural and singular. Google also index and values singular keywords for some of the targeted plural keywords based on the people search behavior. That is, users who search for the plural keywords may still get benefit out of web pages that focus the singular keywords.

(3) Strong Keywords:

Strong keywords have high volume of search and it takes up from single word to even some Geo specific keywords. This depends entirely on the user volume those who are looking for the information. Promoting web page for strong keywords is not so easy as the competition would be much high and as well will have large number of results.

Here few examples for Strong Keywords:

* Apple ipad
* Toyota

(4) Weak Keywords:

Weak Keywords are low volume keywords but it can produce a decent reference for business enquiries. Normally more than two or more words search keyword comes under weak keywords criteria. For creating week keywords, you can try to add your location to strong keywords and measure the search volume using a keyword tool.

This will work for many industries and you can obtain a decent traffic for start and gradually you can focus strong keywords. There are even week keywords that are not location specific since those keywords might have less competition and search results based on industries you target.

(5) Global Keywords:

Global Keywords are not location specific and most of the keywords are targeted for Dot com search engines and the importance of site listing for Global keywords are not restricted to regional specific search engines.

(6) Local Keywords:

Local Keywords are location specific and the keywords can be targeted for regional search engines. Normally local keywords are specific to your languages and targeted country.

Example for local keywords

* Web design London
* SEO New York

(7) Misspelled Keywords:

Misspelled Keywords are formed when huge volume of search engine users have problem with spellings and make typo mistakes while searching for information. And also some spell different and it depends on country. In US the spell is 'color' and in Australia it is written as 'Colour'

One good example is 'accommodation' word. Some type as 'accomodation' and 'accomadation'

(8) Sesonal Keywords:

Seasonal Keywords occur only on certain times of the year. A good example is a greeting card site and seasonal product-selling site. Seasonal Keywords competition changes based on the volume of the search.

In Christmas period, users will be searching for Christmas greeting cards and Christmas gifts. Other than November and December these keywords will have least importance.

(9) Long Tail Keywords :

Long tail keyword are combination of highly searched keyword phrases that generates relevant phrases. These long tail in keywords can provide a significant amount of traffic and when promoted well these keywords can provide a good amount of traffic for original keywords that are used to combine to form a long tail keyword.

These type of long tail keywords are used for article title and press release heading and a good long tail keywords can generate higher conversion rate than a normal keyword (Called as short tail keyword).

Keyword Search Operators

Keywords search Operators[2] help a lot with search and to become a real Keyword search expert you can use the following operators like,

(1 ) Plus (+) Operator

+ Operator with a word / keyword helps to search the web results with those specific keyword around content, title, Meta tags and links.

Example:

Figure (A)

Figure (B)

From Figure (A) you can see a search keyword "business directories" and the results would be varied based on the words directory and directories. The actual search was for "business directories" and not "business directory" but yet you can see results for both directories and directory.

When you use an operator "+" you can see changes in results as seen in Figure (B). The result shows for the word directories.

Note: Now Google has replaced + with "".

(2) Minus (-) operator

- Operator with a word / keyword helps to omit those words from search results.

Example:

Figure (C)

When you use an operator "-" you can see the web results as seen in Figure (C.) The result will not show search terms that include the word “directories” and show only related to the word “business”.

(3) Related (~) operator

~ Operator with a word / keyword helps to find search results that are related to the search term.

Figure (D)

When you use an operator "~" with the word “directories” as seen in Figure (D), then you can see the results that includes words like "search, guide, white pages and so".

(4) OR operator

OR operator in-between search terms help the user with the results containing either one word.

Example:

Figure (E)

When we use OR operator in-between “business” and “directories” words as seen in Figure (E) then the web search results will be displayed containing word business OR directories.

Keywords Role in SEO

Being Keywords as one of the major factor for SEO - an explanation is given in one of my post about how effectively Keywords can be used for Search Engine Optimization(SEO). The below topics are covered in the post"how to improve content writing to rank in first page?".

(a) SEO copy writing - Two Ways
(b) Four Keyword Strategies
(i) Keyword Density
(ii) Keyword Prominence
(iii) Keyword Frequency
(iv) Keyword Proximity
(c) Maintaining the position.
(d) Example on SEO Copy Writing Using Keywords

By now this Keywords 101 post should have helped you to know all about Keywords and its use. Feel free to post your comment on what you know about Keywords.
References
1. Keywords - Webmaster Tools Help
2. Google search: More search help
Sony, Samsung dissolve liquid crystal display panel joint venture
Japan’s Sony and South Korean rival Samsung are dissolving their joint venture in liquid crystal display panels as Sony tries to stanch years of losses in its TV business.
Sony to sell LCD venture stake to Samsung for $940 million
December 26, 2011
TOKYO/SEOUL (Reuters) - Sony Corp has agreed to sell its nearly 50 percent stake in an LCD joint venture with Samsung Electronics to the South Korean company for $940 million, as it struggles to reduce huge losses at its TV business.
China tests 500 km/h super high-speed train
December 26, 2011
BEIJING (Reuters) - China launched a super-rapid test train over the weekend which is capable of travelling 500 kilometers per hour, state media said on Monday, as the country moves ahead with its railway ambitions despite serious problems on its high-speed network.
Christmas Cheer For 3G Telcos
December 26, 2011
TDSAT stays DoT's 3G roaming ban, mobile operators relieved.
DoT Proposes, TDSAT Disposes!
December 26, 2011
Stays 3G roaming ban, mobile operators relieved.
Best Features of Apple - Ipad 2
Now with iOS and iCloud, it just got even harder to put down. starting at $499.
What tech toys did Santa bring you in 2011?
December 26, 2011
Tell us what new gadgets you and your family unwrapped this Christmas!

Technical News - 19 Dec 2011

2011-12-19T08:37:00.001-08:00

5 Leadership Lessons From Tim Tebow's Game-Time Audio
December 18, 2011
Guest post written by Kevin Kruse
North Korean leader Kim Jong-il dead, son hailed as heir
December 18, 2011
SEOUL (Reuters) - North Korean leader Kim Jong-il died of a heart attack while on a train trip, state media reported on Monday, sparking immediate concern over who is in control of the reclusive state and its nuclear program.
Exclusive: Secret U.S., Taliban talks reach turning point
December 18, 2011
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - After 10 months of secret dialogue with Afghanistan's Taliban insurgents, senior U.S. officials say the talks have reached a critical juncture and they will soon know whether a breakthrough is possible, leading to peace talks whose ultimate goal is to end the Afghan war.
Google and Airtel share what Indians searched in 2011
December 18, 2011
It is that time of the year.
S.F. Financier Warren Hellman Dies At Age 77
December 18, 2011
The San Francisco financier Warren Hellman died Sunday evening from complications related to leukemia, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. He was 77.
Lenovo-backed Game Console for China Hit by Delays
December 18, 2011
The launch of a Lenovo-backed video game system for China is being delayed again in order to make improvements to the product, according to a spokesman with the...
Presented By:
December 18, 2011
Coinstar: Too Cheap?
December 18, 2011
Looks for a Monday bounce for shares of Redbox parent Coinstar, after a bullish profile of the company in Barron's over the weekend by my friend Andrew Bary.
Blast At Pegatron Factory In Shanghai Injures 61 Workers
December 18, 2011
An explosion Saturday at a Shanghai plant run by a subsidiary of electronics manufacturer Pegatron has injured 61 workers, sending 23 to the hospital, Reuters reported early Monday.
MIT to offer labs, certificates to virtual students
December 18, 2011
BOSTON (Reuters) - The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is developing technology that will allow students taking courses online to use simulated labs, interact with professors and other students, and earn certificates.
North Korean Dictator Kim Jong Il Dead at 70
December 18, 2011

As reported by numerous sources, Kim Jong Il has died at the age of 70 (69 by some tallies), after 17 years as the brutal head of North Korea. While the cause of death is uncertain, Bloomberg News says "Kim probably had a stroke in August 2008 and may have also contracted pancreatic cancer, according to South Korean news reports."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
MIT to offer labs, certificates to virtual students (Reuters)
December 18, 2011
Reuters - The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is developing technology that will allow students taking courses online to use simulated labs, interact with professors and other students, and earn certificates.
'Occupy' Should Target Apple, Former SF Mayor Brown Says
December 18, 2011
Clearly, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown is part of the 1%.
Another Billionaire Joins Space Race
December 18, 2011
Richard Branson has one. So do Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk. Those wealthy entrepreneurs all have spaceflight companies. Now add Microsoft billionaire Paul Allen to the list.
[More]
The Lord Gave To NYC Tech Start-Ups And Universities, And The Lord Hath Taken Away
December 18, 2011
Big news out of New York City: Stanford pulled out of Bloomberg's applied sciences university "competition" after Cornell got an enormous donation, leaving the upstate university the front runner to build a new campus, likely on Roosevelt Island. This comes with up to $100 million in state subsidies, plus free land and invaluable planning acquiescence.
Online holiday spending rises 15 percent: comScore (Reuters)
December 18, 2011
Reuters - Consumers spent $30.9 billion toward online purchases during the current holiday season, a 15 percent increase from the year-ago period, as shoppers took advantage of free shipping and other online deals, according to comScore.
BT Files Patent Suit Against Google
December 18, 2011
British Telecommunications has filed a civil suit in a Delaware court alleging that some Google products and services including Android, and its search, music...
Eurozone to pursue crisis action, Fitch doubts outcome
December 18, 2011
BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The euro zone will tackle its debt crisis this week by offering more cash to the IMF and long-term liquidity to banks, while moving toward tighter fiscal rules, after ratings agency Fitch cast doubt on its capacity to respond decisively.
Samsung expands patent row with Apple in Germany
December 18, 2011
SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics has filed new claims in its patent war with Apple Inc over alleged patent infringements in Germany, a spokesman for the company said on Monday.
App makers rushing to beat Apple's holiday deadline
December 18, 2011
On Thursday, says The New York Times, Apple will let its app reviewers go on an eight-day holiday break. That means anyone wanting to get something new into the App Store in time for the holidays had better think about pulling an all-nighter.
Files on Manning's computer linked to WikiLeaks site
December 18, 2011
FORT MEADE, MD (Reuters) - Classified files downloaded to the computer of Army intelligence analyst Bradley Manning matched those that later showed up on WikiLeaks, an investigator testified on Sunday, the first time the government has linked Manning to the whistleblowing website.
Philippines mulls mass graves after typhoon kills hundreds
December 18, 2011
CAGAYAN DE ORO, Philippines (Reuters) - Disaster agencies Monday rushed to deliver body bags, food, water, and medicine to crowded evacuation centers in the southern Philippines as officials considered digging mass graves for hundreds killed in weekend flash floods.
Apple supplier Pegatron reports blast at Shanghai plant
December 18, 2011
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Apple Inc supplier Pegatron Corp reported a small explosion at a subsidiary's plant in Shanghai over the weekend that it said had injured 61 workers, the latest in a series of incidents that have spotlighted safety concerns at factories in China.
Cool Effect on Google Search with Let It Snow
December 18, 2011
Type let it snow in Google Search. Snow will start trickling down the Google search page.
MapReduce For the Masses With Common Crawl Data
December 18, 2011

New submitter happyscientist writes "This is a nice 'Hello World' for using Hadoop MapReduce on Common Crawl data. I was interested when Common Crawl announced themselves a few weeks ago, but I was hesitant to dive in. This is a good video/example that makes it clear how easy it is to start playing with the crawl data."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Report: Apple Stalking TV Market
December 18, 2011
Did Apple founder Steve Jobs figure out a way to reinvent the TV for the Internet age before he died? We may soon find out.
British Telecom sues Google over Android (and almost everything else)
December 18, 2011
The world's oldest telecoms company, BT, is suing Google over... well, pretty much everything, from Android to Google Maps, and even at the core of the company: Google Search.
Voice-controlled Apple TV in the works?
December 18, 2011
Apple has its sights on a TV set that will incorporate voice commands and wireless streaming, sources tell The Wall Street Journal.
Crew fled with life vests as packed Indonesian boat sank
December 18, 2011
SYDNEY (Reuters) - The crew and captain of an Indonesian boat packed with illegal immigrants grabbed life vests and swam away as it sank during a heavy storm, leaving more than 200 passengers missing, Australian media reported on Monday.
AT&T, T-Mobile asset sales talks go cold: report
December 18, 2011
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Talks over potential asset sales as part of AT&T Inc's efforts to get approval of its $39 billion purchase of T-Mobile USA have gone cold, according to The Wall Street Journal on Sunday.
Apple briefs media execs on TV plans
December 18, 2011
Apple sees its devices controlling and Apple TV and executing content handoffs between its various products.
News to know: Julian Assange, Goodbye 'open' web, and what was Google's top search?
December 18, 2011
News to know -- December 12-18: A look back at the news from London, the UK and wider Europe, on all the bits that were missed during the week's coverage.
Touchless phones 'to be out soon'
December 18, 2011
Gesture-controlled devices are just around the corner
Dell Ditches Netbooks
December 18, 2011

angry tapir writes "Dell has ceased production of Inspiron Mini netbooks; in effect ending its pursuit of the receding netbook market, at least for consumer sales. When Dell ran through its stock of the netbooks several months ago, it declined to manufacture more units."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
2011: The year Android had Multiple Personality Disorder
December 18, 2011
In 2011 Google's Android brought us splits in versions, open source commitment, carrier and OEM implementations, preferred device vendors and application ecosystems.
British Telecom sues Google over Android, other services
December 18, 2011
The venerable telephone company claims that Google's Maps, Search, and Google+ infringe on six of its patents.
Hello World On PS Vita, Thanks to Buffer Overflow
December 18, 2011

YokimaSun writes "Mamosuke, a PSP Homebrewer from Japan, has posted the first Hello World on the PS Vita which comes from the PSP Emulator in the console. Using a buffer overflow, he has found a way into the PSVita, and with many PSP Game exploits still around and not published for the whole homebrew and hacking community this means that in the short term homebrew is here on the PSvita. Lets hope this is the start of a true PSVita homebrew scene."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Cyberbullying: Can we just blame the kids?
December 18, 2011
Most of Generation Y have come in contact with cyberbullying. We often blame the problem on teenagers alone - but is this actually the case?
Google wants you to buy a Chromebook: Should you? (Review)
December 18, 2011
Google really, really wants you to buy one of the newly reduced in price Chromebooks. Is it worth it?
How To Thwart the High Priests In IT
December 18, 2011

GMGruman writes "You know the type: They want to control and restrict any technology in your office, maybe for job security, maybe as a power trip. As the 'consumerization of IT' phenomenon grows, such IT people are increasingly clashing with users, who bring in their own smartphones, use cloud apps, and work at home on their own equipment. These 'enemies' in IT are easy to identify, but there are subtler enemies within IT that also aim to prevent users from being self-sufficient in their technology use. That's bad for both users and IT, as it gets in the way of useful work for everyone. Here's what to look for in such hidden IT 'enemies,' and how to thwart their efforts to contain you."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Everybody pirates: RIAA, Homeland Security caught downloading torrents
December 18, 2011
Since the release of a website that monitors nearly 20 percent of all public BitTorrent downloaders, even more pro-SOPA figures have been found downloading copyrighted material.
New Apple ad says Siri-reliant Santa is a slob
December 18, 2011
A new Apple ad, one that doesn't even mention the iPhone 4S, shows Santa relying on Siri as his one, indispensable little helper.
Cartoon: SOPA Opera
Oh, SOPA - you do know how to hold an audience. The Stop Online Piracy Act (or the Shut Off Pretty much Anything act, depending on your perspective) has been delayed with Friday's adjournment of the House Judiciary Committee, and exactly when a vote might be scheduled is still up in the air. And less than two weeks after I ran a cartoon here about Reddit's popular AMA (Ask Me Anything) discussion threads, committee member Rep.
Apple needs a better App Store refund method
December 18, 2011
My personal experience with Apple's refund policy and App developer assistance. I also offer a solution, if anyone's listening.
Facebook gives Timeline to iPhone users
December 18, 2011
App update also gives mobile users access to their friend lists, subscribers, and subscriptions.

Technical News - 16 December 2011

2011-12-16T08:10:00.001-08:00

U.S. Navy may station ships in Singapore, Philippines
December 15, 2011
WASHINGTON/SINGAPORE (Reuters) - The U.S. Navy said it would station several new coastal combat ships in Singapore and perhaps in the Philippines in coming years, moves likely to fuel China's fears of being encircled and pressured in the South China Sea dispute.
Beijing tightens controls over popular microblogs
December 15, 2011
BEIJING (Reuters) - The Beijing city government said on Friday it would tighten control over popular microblogs that have vexed authorities with their rapid dissemination of news, giving users three months to register with their real names or face legal consequences.
Polemical journalist and atheist Christopher Hitchens dead at 62
December 15, 2011
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - British-born journalist and atheist intellectual Christopher Hitchens, who made the United States his home and backed the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq, died on Thursday at the age of 62.
Apple Mini-iPad rumor cites Kindle Fire
December 15, 2011
Another iPad-mini rumor surfaces. This time citing the Kindle Fire as the culprit.
'iPad mini' with 7.85-inch screen rumored for late 2012 (Digital Trends)
December 15, 2011
Digital Trends - Rumors have once again surfaced regarding a so-called âiPad mini.â The folks over at DigiTimes said that according to âsources in the supply chain,â a 7.85-inch iPad is âlikely to launchâ at some point in the latter half of 2012 (âprior to the fourth quarter,â says DigiTimes), with the iPad 3 believed to be coming in the early part of next year, at the end of the first quarter.
U.S. drone hijacked by GPS hack?
December 15, 2011
Unnamed Iranian engineer tells Christian Science Monitor that the sophisticated drone was forced to land by spoofing GPS coordinates.
UMG claims "right to block or remove" YouTube videos it doesn't own
December 15, 2011

Universal Music Group has responded to Megaupload's request for a temporary restraining order barring the music giant from further interference with the distribution of its "Mega Song." UMG insists that it had a right to take down the video—not under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, as Megaupload had assumed, but under a private contractual arrangement between UMG and YouTube.
UMG's filing raises more questions than it answers. Most obviously, the firm has not explained why it took down the video in the first place. But the filing also raises deeper questions about UMG's effort to essentially opt out of the DMCA takedown rules. UMG seems to believe it can take down videos even if it doesn't hold the copyright to them, and that when UMG takes a video down from YouTube, the owner of that video can't avail herself of even the weak protections against takedown abuse provided by the DMCA.

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Vint Cerf: SOPA means 'unprecedented censorship' of the Web
December 15, 2011
Vint Cerf, the legendary computer scientist known as one of the fathers of the Internet, warns Rep. Lamar Smith that his bill will be ineffective and dangerous.
SOPA copyright bill draws fire
December 15, 2011
roundup The Stop Online Piracy Act is intended to target "rogue" Web sites, but critics say it'll knock the stuffing out of legitimate sites as well.
Google Wallet Stores Card Data In Plain Text
December 15, 2011

nut writes "The much-hyped payment application from Google on Android has been examined by viaForensics and appears to store some cardholder data in plaintext. Google wallet is the first real payment system to use NFC on Android. Version 2 of the PCI DSS (the current standard) mandates the encryption of transmitted cardholder data encourages strong encryption for its storage. viaForensics suggest that the data stored in plain text might be sufficient to allow social engineering to obtain a credit card number."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Rivals pounce on Gingrich at last Iowa debate
December 15, 2011
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (Reuters) - Republican presidential candidates pounced on front-runner Newt Gingrich on Thursday to try to blunt his surge at the last debate before Iowa launches the 2012 U.S. election season.
Twitter Stalking Case Dismissed by Maryland Judge
December 15, 2011
A U.S. judge in Maryland dismissed on Thursday a criminal case against a person who was charged with stalking a religious leader on Twitter, upholding "a...
SOPA attracts plenty of supporters during House debate
December 15, 2011
Controversial Hollywood-backed copyright bill is embraced by majority of a House of Representatives committee. A vote may happen tomorrow.
Siemens Digs Deeper into Distributed Power
December 15, 2011
Siemens, the German industrial giant, is partnering with Boston, MA-based Eastern Wind Power on a pilot project exploring several small to micro-scale power generation systems.
Full ban on driver calls could be tough to enforce (AP)
December 15, 2011
AP - A driver in the next lane is moving his lips. Is he on a hands-free cellphone? Talking to someone in the car? To himself? Singing along to the radio?
90 pc of mobile cell sites to be connected with Ethernet
December 15, 2011
Infonetics Research's new study finds that a majority of mobile operators and transport providers will have over 90 per cent of their cell sites connected with IP/Ethernet, by 2013
Citi India brings 'Cash-To-Mobile'
December 15, 2011
New solution enables clients to receive funds and alerts through SMS instantly
Analysis: Apple struggles to take bigger bite out of China
December 15, 2011
HONG KONG (Reuters) - Apple Inc's share of China's booming smartphone market has risen sharply in the past two years, but for now the company that sells the iconic iPhone is being outpaced by nimble rivals.
Accused Army document leaker faces hearing
December 15, 2011
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An Army intelligence analyst suspected in the biggest leak of classified U.S. documents in history makes his first court appearance on Friday accused of multiple charges including aiding the enemy, which could bring life imprisonment.
Exclusive: Made in Texas: Apple's A5 iPhone chip
December 15, 2011
SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Inc is famous for relying on low-cost Asian manufacturers to both source and assemble its popular gadgets, but the consumer device giant recently started receiving a critical component in its iPad and iPhones from closer to home - Texas.
Exclusive: Made in Texas: Apple's A5 iPhone chip
December 15, 2011
SAN FRANCISCO - Apple Inc is famous for relying on low-cost Asian manufacturers to both source and assemble its popular gadgets, but the consumer device giant recently started receiving a critical component in its iPad and iPhones from closer to home - Texas.
Small cell base station units to double in 2012
December 15, 2011
Operators plan to run 12 per cent of network capacity on small cells by 2012, finds Infonetics
Japan aims to bolster M&A disclosure after Olympus scandal
December 15, 2011
TOKYO (Reuters) - Japan has signaled plans to strengthen disclosure rules on mergers and acquisitions after a $1.7 billion accounting fraud at Olympus Corp, one of the nation's worst corporate scandals, which involved a series of shady deals.
Zynga prices IPO at top end of range
December 15, 2011
(Reuters) - Online games maker Zynga Inc is expected to make a strong debut on the Nasdaq stock exchange on Friday after it priced its initial public offering at the top end of a preliminary range but did not increase the size of the $1 billion deal.
Judge dismisses Twitter stalking case
December 15, 2011
Ruling says Constitution protects "uncomfortable" speech, including tweets that predict a person's violent death.
Angry Birds maker eyes 2013 Hong Kong IPO: report
December 15, 2011
HELSINKI (Reuters) - Finnish gaming firm Rovio, creator of "Angry Birds," the world's most popular computer game, is planning an initial public offering on the Hong Kong stock exchange in 2013, Finnish weekly Tekniikka&Talous reported on Friday.
Czech Nationwide Census Shows Jump In Jedi Knights
December 15, 2011

First time accepted submitter il_genio writes "The Czech Statistical Office (SÚ) unveiled the first results of its regular 10-year census on Thursday. While almost half the population, 4.8 million, shied away from answering the voluntary religious question, a surprising strong showing was given by those Czechs who described themselves as Knights of the Jedi and believers in 'the Force' as depicted in the Star Wars films. Overall, 15,070 Czechs identified themselves as Knights of the Jedi with the biggest proportion of adherents in the capital, Prague, with 3,977 followers or 0.31 percent of the population"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Dell says goodbye to Netbooks
December 15, 2011
Dell is leaving Netbooks to the dustbin of laptop history. But it's not terribly surprising, considering the rise of tablets and the emergence of ultrabooks.
Facebook COO to leave Starbucks board of directors
December 15, 2011
Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg will no longer be on the Starbucks board of directors next year. She joined it in March 2009 to offer business strategy and operational execution experience.
Suicide Prevention Comes to Facebook: A Life-Saving Option With A Dark Side
December 15, 2011
Facebook now offers a potentially life-saving way for people to report suicidal posts. Working with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline they've put a procedure in place to help friends help friends in trouble. While some will still tragically fall through the cracks, and surely there will be many unnecessary reports, I believe this will save lives. But the need for Facebook to present us with this option — and it is a big need, last year 36,000 Americans died at their own hand — is a sad, dark commentary on the alienation we now take for granted.
Green-Energy Finance Guru: 'We've cracked the code.'
December 15, 2011
Sean Neill wants to do for clean energy what Samuel Insull, the British-born businessman who brought cheap electricity to mainstream America, did for dirty energy.
Before You Invest In Zynga, Meet Its CTO
December 15, 2011
Cadir Lee explains why Mark Pincus proposed to him on the court.
Heavy Metal Christmas Lights Show Would Make Slayer Proud
December 15, 2011
Showcasing some incredibly detailed animation and syncing, this heavy metal fan's Christmas decorations probably put the rest of the neighborhood to shame.
Funny top ten list about useless studies will give you a chuckle
December 15, 2011
It's the most wonderful time of the year. There are candy canes, mistletoe, and, of course, the fabulous year's end top ten lists.
In SOPA's shadow, Megaupload strikes back against Universal
December 15, 2011
The hosting site successfully fights a copyright claim by Universal Music Group over a YouTube video.
Tests show LightSquared still disrupts GPS
December 15, 2011
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - LightSquared's prospects for getting its wireless network off the ground were dealt another blow this week as U.S. government tests found that the signal of the telecom startup would cause "harmful interference" to a majority of GPS devices.
Gmail Backup, a recipe for happiness
December 15, 2011
Gibbs wants to avoid a "Googlesplosion" ... Gmail Backup is the recipe for happiness.
Ask Slashdot: Good Metrics For a Small IT Team?
December 15, 2011

First time accepted submitter shibbyj writes "I'm a member of a small 3 person IT team for a medium sized business (approximately 300-350 employees) that has multiple locations internationally. I have been tasked with logging our performance using the statistics from our ticket management system. I've also been tasked with comparing these stats and determining if we are performing above or below what is considered optimal. I'm wondering what people opinions are on what good metrics should be in regards to mttr mtbf etc. I have had trouble finding information on this."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Zynga Stock Looking Like It's Worth $10.34 Pre-IPO
December 15, 2011
Zynga is the world’s largest social gaming company. Founded in 2007, the company has launched social games such as FarmVille, CityVille and Texas HoldEm Poker, as well as many others on social networks like Facebook and Myspace. It currently has close to 220 million monthly active users and around 54 million daily active users worldwide.
The Economy - An Excuse of Convenience
December 15, 2011
Image Credit: Dapawrprint The economy doesn't kill business growth - poor leadership does. If you're the short-sighted CEO who cuts back on hiring, development, marketing, branding, and advertising budgets in an attempt to reduce costs, you're headed in the wrong direction. Top CEOs recognize that economic slow-downs are not all doom-and-gloom.
How to erase a Kindle Fire (and regift it...if you want)
December 15, 2011
Done with your Kindle Fire? Well, don't throw it out just yet! Well, if you do, just make sure to erase it first.
Salesforce.com enters HR software business
December 15, 2011
BOSTON (Reuters) - Salesforce.com Inc is entering the business of selling human resources software in a move that raises the stakes in its battle to woo customers away from bigger rivals SAP AG and Oracle Corp..
The Most Dangerous Toys of 2011
December 15, 2011

theodp writes "If you've procrastinated on your Xmas shopping this year, fear not: Gawker's just published its tongue-in-cheek 2011 Top Picks for Gifts That Maim or Poison Children. Until President Nixon enacted the first national safety standard for playthings with the Toy Safety Act in 1969, the toy industry was pretty much anything-goes. As a result of the legislation, children may live longer, but they'll never know the joys of many beloved-but-dangerous classics, including Zulu Guns, Jarts, and Clackers."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
House Committee Appears Headed Toward Approving SOPA
December 15, 2011
The U.S. House of Representatives Judiciary Committee slowly moved toward approval of the controversial copyright enforcement bill Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA)...
Google Zeitgeist reveals top searches for 2011: I don't want to live on this planet anymore
December 15, 2011
The Google Zeitgeist 2011 report finds that searchers worldwide were more interested in reality television and celebrities than current events.

Technical News - 15 December 2011

2011-12-15T08:03:00.000-08:00

U.S. military marks end to nearly nine bloody years in Iraq
December 15, 2011
BAGHDAD (Reuters) - U.S. forces formally ended their nine-year war in Iraq on Thursday with a low key flag ceremony in Baghdad, while to the north flickering violence highlighted ethnic and sectarian strains threatening the country in years ahead.
Jobless claims at 3.5 year low, factories mixed
December 15, 2011
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The number of Americans filing new claims for jobless benefits dropped to a 3-1/2-year low last week, suggesting a weak U.S. economy is gradually improving even though factory data proved more mixed.
Bill Gates on coming back to Microsoft: Not a chance
December 15, 2011
The Microsoft co-founder says that although he talks to Microsoft executives periodically, his charitable work is a full-time gig.
China villagers defy government in standoff over death
December 15, 2011
BEIJING (Reuters) - Villagers in southern China on Thursday defied authorities and continued protests over a death in custody and land dispute in the latest outburst of simmering rural discontent that is eroding the ruling Communist Party's grip at the grassroots.
Olympus ex-CEO attacks Japan investors as comeback bid struggles
December 15, 2011
TOKYO (Reuters) - The whistleblower in Japan's Olympus Corp scandal, ex-CEO Michael Woodford, blasted Japanese shareholders on Thursday for failing to stand up for him, amid signs that domestic and foreign investors are split over his campaign to be reinstated.
Olympus ex-CEO attacks Japan investors as comeback bid struggles
December 15, 2011
TOKYO (Reuters) - The whistleblower in Japan's Olympus Corp scandal, ex-CEO Michael Woodford, blasted Japanese shareholders on Thursday for failing to stand up for him, amid signs that domestic and foreign investors are split over his campaign to be reinstated.
Republicans move to muscle spending bill through House
December 15, 2011
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans introduced a $915 billion spending bill in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday in an attempt to force Democrats to finalize legislation that would keep the U.S. government operating beyond the weekend.
Square Enix servers hacked, 1.8 million users affected (Digital Trends)
December 15, 2011
Digital Trends - This is shaping up to the year of high-profile hacker attacks in the gaming world, as game developer Square Enix announced this week that 1.8 million user accounts were compromised as a result of a recent online security breach.
Putin rules out new election in marathon show
December 15, 2011
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Vladimir Putin dismissed calls to rerun a parliamentary election in a marathon phone call-in on Russian television on Thursday and ignored most of the demands of protesters complaining of electoral fraud and demanding an end to his 12-year rule.
Sergey Brin, Jack Dorsey, Chad Hurley, et al. to U.S. Government: DO NOT Emulate These Oppressive Nations
December 15, 2011
Leading U.S. Internet entrepreneurs wrote an Open Letter to U.S. lawmakers opposing the proposed Protect IP Act (PIPA) and Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA). The entrepreneurs urged the government not to emulate Internet censorship currently being imposed by the governments in China, Malaysia and Iran. As mentioned in the Letter, both Acts threaten to "give the US Government the power to censor the web using techniques similar to those used by China, Malaysia and Iran."
Google Engineer Builds Ultimate LAN Party House
December 15, 2011

Zothecula writes "Anyone who has a attended a LAN party — where people connect their computers on one network in one location to play multiplayer games together — can tell you that they can be both very fun but also kind of a hassle. Playing games with your friends all in the same room: fun. Having to organize all your friends to each haul their usually-oversized gaming rigs to one person's house, ensuring they all have the same software, and inevitably dealing with one or more people having trouble connecting: not fun. With that in mind, it makes sense that one Google employee decided to bypass all that inconvenience and just build a house specifically for LAN parties, complete with multiple networked computers and TVs connected to game consoles."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
IBM To Buy Emptoris
December 15, 2011
IBM this morning announced a deal to acquire Emptoris, a Burlington, Mass.-based provider of cloud and on-premise analytics software for procurement and supply chain applications. Terms were not disclosed.
Mystery Solved: SGI's Barrenechea To Run Open Text
December 15, 2011
Open Text this morning said it has named current SGI chief Mark Barrenechea as president and CEO effective January 2.
Windows 8 activity sinking among early adopters, claims study
December 15, 2011
The level of activity in Windows 8 among people running the Developer Preview is lower than it was three months ago, according to new data from ad network Chitika.
How To Make Money Without A Job
December 15, 2011
Whether you want to start something on the side or say goodbye to corporate life forever, here are some tips for starting your own business.
At Universal's Request, YouTube Yanks News Podcast Over Music Snippet
December 15, 2011

Snaller writes "Tech News Today does what the name says — it's a podcast reporting on Tech news, Monday to Friday. They, like Slashdot, reported on the Megaupload vs. Universal copyright dispute. But during their coverage, they played a snippet of the music video and immediately Universal Music Group had the news podcast yanked from YouTube. Tech News Today has outlets other than YouTube, but should a music company have the right to have a news podcast removed on copyright grounds, when it's not even clear that said company has had any copyrights violated?"
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
IDC: Tablet Sales Underwhelm in Q3, but Strong Holiday Season Expected
December 15, 2011
Tablet sales at 18.1 million units during the third quarter were somewhat lower than expected, but stronger-than-expected demand during the rest of the year will...
Samsung Galaxy Nexus hits US Verizon stores today (Appolicious)
December 15, 2011
Appolicious - After weeks of anticipation, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus finally arrives in US stores. The much awaited smartphone is the first to show off Google’s updated Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich, an OS update that promises to bridge the smartphone and tablet experience. Starting today, the Galaxy Nexus will sell for $299.99 with a new two-year contract in an exclusive deal with Verizon, though StarkInsider reports the handset will be available at Costco stores as well. ...
Facebook and Greenpeace make peace on data centers
December 15, 2011
The collaboration will encourage cleaner energy on the grid and data center efficiency through the Facebook-founded Open Compute initiative.
Microsoft opens instant-messaging for all comers
December 15, 2011
Any programmer now can build software to tap into Windows Live Messenger's network. Perhaps in time IM will become less fragmented and more useful.
Deadline for rural broadband plan
December 15, 2011
English councils have until the end of February to apply for government cash to help them roll out "superfast" broadband services.
Think Your Cell Phone is Virus Free? Think Again
December 15, 2011
Many people think that only PC’s can be infected with a virus or worm but this is simply not true. Cell phones and PDAs are becoming more and more susceptible as features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are being added to these devices. In Stat, a prominent market research company, projects that Bluetooth device shipments will exceed 2 billion by 2013 and Wi-Fi chipsets will exceed 1 billion by 2012.
Zoho upgrades CRM, touts 25,000 customers
December 15, 2011
The Zoho CRM upgrade includes a new interface, third party integration and deal tracking.
Investor pushes for leadership change at RIM
December 15, 2011
(Reuters) - An investor at Research In Motion has asked two directors at the struggling Canadian smartphone maker to push for a change in the company's governance.
RIM activist renews call for leadership change
December 15, 2011
TORONTO (Reuters) - Research In Motion faced renewed calls for a change in its leadership on Thursday, hours ahead of the quarterly results that could fuel criticism over the BlackBerry maker's poor performance and sagging share price.
Are there really 509,147 datacenters worldwide?
December 15, 2011
With over a half-million datacenters in operation worldwide, perhaps the emphasis on saving just a small amount of energy in each facility will eventually show significant economic results.
Samsung Uses Apple Lawsuit to Hype Galaxy Tablet
December 15, 2011
An ad in the Sydney Morning Herald proclaims that the Galaxy Tab is "the tablet Apple tried to stop."
Facebook Timeline goes live--out with old, in with new
December 15, 2011
The social network is letting people tinker with the information shared in the Timeline before it gets pushed live. After seven days, however, it's automatically made public.
First Solar: Is The Company Now Takeover Bait?
December 15, 2011
First Solar shares fell more than 21% yesterday after the company yesterday reduced its Q4 guidance, issued a shockingly weak 2012 profit forecast and announced that it was shifting its business to focus specifically on utility scale projects.
Three quick iMessage tips
December 15, 2011
iOS 5 introduced iMessage, a new capability within your iOS device's Messages app that can send text, picture, and video messages to other iPhones without counting against your carrier's messaging plan. What's more, iMessages actually works with any device running iOS 5, meaning iPad and iPod touch owners can get in on the messaging fun, too.
20 Best U.S. Airports for Tech Travelers
December 15, 2011
Walking past laptop-toting digital nomads who huddle around the outlets lining the concourse, you arrive at your gate with 30 minutes to spare. You have a 6-hour flight in front of you, and a laptop and a smartphone that need a full charge to keep you working and listening to music throughout the flight. You stalk the gate area. The two available outlets on the payphone are taken. No outlets on the walls. The remaining minutes before departure click down. A baby is crying. (Please, please, please, you think, don't seat me next to the baby...). "Final call for boarding." Your laptop has an hour of life left, and so does your phone. When both are dead, your noise-canceling headphones will be useless. You board and approach your seat. You're in 16B. The baby, in 16C, is already crying...
In Search of the Tech-Savvy Airport
December 15, 2011
Editor's Letter
AT&T: Macquarie Turns Bearish; Sees Spectrum Edge For VZ
December 15, 2011
Macquarie USA analyst Kevin Smithen this morning cut his rating on AT&T shares to Underperform from Neutral, asserting that the apparent collapse of the company's deal to acquire T-Mobile will leave the company in a weak spectrum position relative to chief rival Verizon Wireless.
Taking a Look At Kindle Format 8
December 15, 2011

Nate the greatest writes "Got a Kindle Fire? Here's your chance to try the new Kindle Format 8. The new format is in beta testing right now with a limited number of publishers, and a few days ago one of those publishers leaked the tools and the guidelines to me. It turns out KF8 isn't all that new. I've looked at the code, and I'd call it an attempt to graft a number of Epub features onto the existing Kindle format. It simply adds a lot of new formatting and is only slightly more capable than Epub. There's a number of screenshots at the link as well as a demo file. You can probably also find more KF8 ebooks in the Kindle Store; look for the Kindle Fire exclusive magazines and graphic novels."
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Chrome 15 Beats Out IE8 As World's Most Popular Browser
December 15, 2011
Google Chrome 15 is the most popular web browser in the world overtaking Internet Explorer 8, according to web analytics firm StatCounter.
Presented By:
December 15, 2011
GlobalSign Says Website Breach Didn't Affect Its CA Infrastructure
December 15, 2011
Certificate Authority (CA) GlobalSign concluded that a security breach that affected its website earlier this year did not result in rogue digital certificates...
Microsoft to push latest version of IE to users starting in 2012
December 15, 2011
Microsoft is going to start automatically upgradingWindows PC users to the latest version of the IE browser available for their PCs, as of January next year.
Skyworks Jumps As Deutsche Bank Upgrades To Buy
December 15, 2011
Skyworks Solutions shares are trading sharply higher Thursday morning after Deutsche Bank analyst Jonathan Goldberg raised his rating on the mobile phone chip company's stock to Buy from Hold, with a new target price of $23, up from $22.
For Samsung Vibrant, no 911 means no Android mod
December 15, 2011
The CyanogenMod crew says it can no longer support Samsung's Vibrant phone since its customized build prevents the phone from making a 911 emergency call.
iPhone 4S Launch Stores Revealed
December 15, 2011
Vodacom has revealed which of its stores will be participating in the iPhone 4S launch this Friday
IBM acquires spend management company Emptoris
December 15, 2011
Emptoris' verticals---consumer products, financial services, healthcare, telecom, utilities and manufacturing---match up with IBM's.
Tiny solar cell dots printed for powerful array
December 15, 2011
Start-up Semprius blasts 1,000 suns worth of light onto dot-size solar cells assembled by machines to bring down the cost of concentrating photovoltaics.
Kohls plugs in electric vehicle charging stations
December 15, 2011
Retailer will pilot technologies from Coulomb and ECOtality in 33 different locations nationwide.
PlayStation 3 continues its climb, despite Xbox 360 pressure
December 15, 2011
Sony says it will sell 15 million PlayStation 3 units this fiscal year, up from the 14.3 million it sold in the prior 12 months.

Technology News

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References

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Technical News - 15 December 2011