Stakes are high as Microsoft launches Windows 8 this week

Stakes are high as Microsoft launches Windows 8 this week
The Seattle Times
"And the single most important set of products that Microsoft has ever introduced." Windows is still the world's most dominant PC operating system, on some 94 percent of PCs, according to Gartner information. But the dominance of Apple's iOS and Google ...

Google faces moment of truth on monopoly probe
Phys.Org
Another of Google critics' concerns is the way the company limits how advertisers can manage ads with Google and competitors. "They remind me a lot of Microsoft in the 90s: massively arrogant, having the feeling they have the power to do anything they ...

Microsoft Has A Problem With The Public's Expectation Of The Surface
Forbes
It has sold out online, there is a sense of expectation and wonder in the air, but for Microsoft the Surface with Windows RT could upset all the goodwill being generated around the launch Windows 8 and the extended ecosystem at the end of the month ...

Microsoft offers tech courses to Indian academia
New York Daily News
Bangalore, Oct 21 — World's largest software major, Microsoft Corporation is offering its new education programme to the Indian academia for capacity building through faculty and making students more employable. "Our new education programme will help ...

Google uses fuzzy math on its Motorola business
MSN Money
First off, toss out the 45% revenue growth that Google chief executive Larry Page touted on the company's Oct. 18 call with analyst and investors to discuss third-quarter financial results. That growth was inflated by the $12.5 billion acquisition of ...

Google's Crystal Ball - NYTimes.com
By By SETH STEPHENS-DAVIDOWITZ
Every election season, pollsters try to figure out the demographic makeup of the electorate in an election that hasn't happened yet. And every election season, pollsters are greeted with charges that their estimates are wrong. Republicans ...
Campaign Stops

Is Google a free speech opportunist? — Tech News and Analysis
By Jeff John Roberts
More broadly, this dilemma doesn't apply just to Google. In the age of the algorithm, other companies may also rush to protect computer-based communication. Should Amazon, for instance, be allowed to argue that its product recommendation ...
GigaOM

Brazilian newspapers give 'freeloader' Google News the boot — RT
By RT
Over 100 of Brazil's main newspapers have blocked internet giant Google's news service from using their content. They say Google News has actually reduced their site traffic and benefits commercially from material it has refused to pay for.
News RSS : Today

Perspectives - Google Mechanical Design
By James Hamilton
Earlier this week, Google posted a number of pictures taken from their datacenters (Google Data Center Tech). The pictures are beautiful and of interest to just about anyone, somewhat more interesting to those working in technology, and ...
Perspectives

What the hell happened to Apple last week? - Apple 2.0 - Fortune Tech
By Philip Elmer-DeWitt
Not only had he risked his reputation as a canny Apple (AAPL) trader by issuing a "buy" recommendation on Oct. 9 -- his sixth in as many years -- at what he said was at or near Apple'sbottom, but he had lambasted here, here and here hedge ...
Fortune Tech: Technology blogs,...

Reddit v Gawker aftermath: Violentacrez looks for porn work
ZDNet
Reddit v Gawker aftermath: Violentacrez looks for porn work. Summary: Reddit and Gawker's longstanding feud reached meltdown and got an internet troll fired in real life when Gawker outed one of Reddit's jailbait and rape joke trolls. "Violentacrez" now ...

New Samsung Chromebook and Samsung Series 5 550 head-to-head
ZDNet
New Samsung Chromebook and Samsung Series 5 550 head-to-head. Summary: Samsung and Google dropped a new Chromebook into the market for only $249, showing that a quality laptop can be cheap. The new Chromebook and the older Samsung ...

ZDNet

Microsoft kicks off free Office 2013 upgrades
Computerworld
Computerworld - Microsoft on Friday launched an Office upgrade offer that gives customers who purchase the current Office 2010 a free copy of the upcoming Office 2013. The deal, stuck with the official title of "Microsoft Office Pre-launch Offer," started Oct. 19 ...

Orionid meteor shower peaks tonight; NASA is live-streaming video
Los Angeles Times
For those who cannot see the Orionid meteor shower in person, NASA has images streaming on the Internet. The live feed is being filmed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Ala. Officials have warned the shower will be hard to see in urban ...

So Far, No Life Found In Buried Antarctic Lake
Forbes
Earlier this year, a team of Russian scientists completed a technological first – they successfully drilled to the surface of Antarctica's Lake Vostok. The lake is buried under ice that's over 2 and a half miles thick – meaning that any life that might still exist in the ...

Forbes

Apple's 5th Gen iPod Touch And 7th Gen iPod Nano Shipping Times Improve
TechCrunch
Apple's new iPod touch and iPod nano, announced alongside the iPhone 5 at an event last month, saw their shipping times improve over the weekend, from an expected two week shipping timeframe to 5-7 business days. The new iPod were first given the ...

Rhode Island House Speaker faces 38 Studios fallout
Boston Herald
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Rhode Island House Speaker Gordon Fox is facing his toughest election challenge in years - from an independent political newcomer - as the fallout from Rhode Island's failed investment in former Red Sox [team stats] pitcher Curt ...

Google: NFC Payments Growing, Still Three to Five Years Out
PC Magazine
Google Wallet. Do you use your smartphone's built-in NFC capabilities instead of a hunk of dilapidated plastic to pay for things at your favorite stores? Congratulations. By Google's standards, you're pretty much an early adopter. And you're likely to be for a ...

Surprising New Discovery Made Regarding the Development of a Galaxy
The Bunsen Burner
Results are starting to come in from an intensive study in Hawaii and through NASA's Hubble Telescope, revealing a wealth of new information regarding the development of galaxies dating back some eight billion years. The Bunsen Burner | Sarah Rasher ...

The Bunsen Burner

Threatened species status for polar bears argued in US court
The Bell Jar
According to a Reuters report, the state of Alaska and other plaintiffs—including the Safari Club International and the California Cattlemen's Association—are contesting the Interior Department's 2008 designation that polar bears are a threatened species.

The Bell Jar

Google issues Maps APIs for tighter tabs on vehicles
Phys.Org
Enlarge. (Phys.org)—Google has been branded and promoted to the point where two associated words-come to mind, "search" and "Maps." Over 800,000 developers worldwide use Google Maps APIs, according to the company, to create their own ...

Zuckerberg: In 10 years, folks will share 1,...
CNET
PALO ALTO, Calif. -- Facebook CEO and co-founder Mark Zuckerberg addressed an adoring crowd at Y Combinator's startup school today, speaking confidently about Facebook and describing a world in which people will share a whole lot more than they do ...

A New Set of Solar Fireworks
NASA
The sun emitted a significant solar flare, peaking at 2:14 p.m. EDT on › View larger NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) captured this image of an M9-class flare on Oct 20, 2012 at 2:14 p.m. EDT. This image shows light at a wavelength of 131 ...

Soyuz Craft Readied for Space Station Mission
ABC News
A Russian-made Soyuz rocket was erected into place Sunday, ahead of the start of a mission to take a three-man crew to the International Space Station. For the first time since 1984, the manned launch will take place from Baikonur cosmodrome launch pad ...

'XCOM' tops in strategy, intensity
Sentinel and Enterprise
Our greatest fears have been realized. We are not alone in the universe, and we are under attack. The very fate of humanity rests in your hands. Will your decisions be the salvation of our species, or will they herald its ultimate destruction? Every maneuver in ...

The AppAdvice Week In Review: 'iPad Mini' Rumors And Predictions
AppAdvice
The AppAdvice Week In Review: 'iPad Mini' Rumors And Predictions. BY Bryan M. Wolfe on Sun October 21st, 2012 iPad mini ipad mini launch · The AppAdvice Week In Review: 'iPad Mini' Rumors And Predictions. On Tuesday, Oct. 23, Apple will finally ...

AppAdvice

Meet Mega, Kim Dotcom's new and secure Megaupload sequel
The Verge
Wired has details of Mega, the new cloud storage project from embattled Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom. In many ways it sounds suspiciously similar to the previous file-sharing service that came under fire from US authorities, but a new encryption system ...

Bioware releases some stunning Dragon Age III concept art
Gaming Examiner
Bioware released a few small teasers, as well as some concept art images today for their upcoming RPG 'Dragon Age III: Inquisition'. The third installment of the title is on track for a fall 2013 release and is already shaping up nicely. Bioware confirmed a few ...

'BioShock's' Big Daddy found in 'Borderlands 2′
StickSkills
Borderlands 2 is rife with interesting Easters eggs that, if you're a well-rounded gamer, will make you smile from ear to ear once discovered. The most recent discovery should make BioShock fans as giddy as a Little Sister. Youtube user SquishyMoobs (a fine ...

StickSkills

Anarchy Reigns coming to North America and Europe in January, half the price ...
EventHubs.com
Press Release: SEGA of America, Inc. and SEGA Europe Ltd. are pleased to announce their groundbreaking multiplayer brawler Anarchy Reigns will launch on January 8th 2013 in the US and January 11th 2013 in Europe, for the PlayStation 3 computer ...

Tesla opens free fast-charge stations, plans for electric 'cross-country travel'
MSN Autos (blog)
For prospective electric car owners, Tesla's free fast-charge stations sound too good to be true. And they are -- unless you're a new owner of the company's spiffy Model S sedan. On Friday, Tesla opened six stations in California that claim to recharge a Model ...

Yelp Uses Public Shaming To Dissuade Fake Reviews
Gadling
Yelp. While social travel review sites like Yelp and TripAdvisor can be helpful for trip planning, one constant criticism is how easily it is for business owners to write or pay for fake reviews of their establishment to boost its rating. In Yelp's latest effort to ...

The Witcher 2 is now available for OS X
TechnologyTell (blog)
You can be a witch for Halloween. Go ahead. Win a best costume prize, even, if you put enough time into it. But when you get home, put away your Halloween goings on and sit down for some good old-fashioned RPG fun The Witcher: Assassins of Kings ...

TechnologyTell (blog)

Curious Cat Discovers 2000-Year-Old Catacomb
Care2.com (blog)
Spanish archaeologists claim they have found the exact spot where Julius Caesar was stabbed to death on March 15, 44 B.C.E. in Rome. But it is possible that a cat is one-upping them in detecting archaeological finds in the Eternal City. This past Tuesday, a ...

FTC hosting Robocall contest
WCBD
The Federal Trade Commission is sponsoring a contest for creative ways to block illegal robo-telemarketing calls. Automated sales calls have been illegal since 2009, but many telemarketers continue the practice. The FTC will award $50,000 for a technology ...

Making sense of the confusing world of Windows 8
CNET
Making sense of the confusing world of Windows 8. Ready to jump into Windows 8? As if the switch from the Windows 7 interface to the Windows 8 way of doing things wasn't bad enough, deciding what type of Windows 8 or Windows RT device to purchase is ...

The 25 best travel apps
Telegraph.co.uk
Triposo Free, iPhone, iPad and Android Though there are travel-guide apps from existing publications (such as Wallpaper* City Guides and Condé Nast Traveler), none are so optimised for mobile as Triposo. International information can often be outdated,...

Telegraph.co.uk

Microsoft Kills Facebook and Twitter Apps on Xbox Live, Adds IE9
PC Magazine
Say it ain't so. A new (and mandatory) fall Dashboard update for owners of Microsoft's Xbox 360 is tossing a few new features into the mix, depending on what status of "user" you are — a free Silver account holder versus a paid-for Gold account holder.

Motorola Lists Smartphones Eligible for $100 Jelly Bean Promo
PC Magazine
Sometimes, it pays not to upgrade. However, Motorola's actually offering up a bit of a cash incentive for those looking to upgrade their devices, but can't. We're speaking, of course, about the number of Motorola Android smartphones that aren't going to be ...

Apple loses copyright case in UK
The Citizen Daily
London. Apple Inc has lost its appeal of a ruling that its rival Samsung's Galaxy tablet computer did not copy Apple's registered tablet designs in a British court. The world's two leading smartphone makers are fighting over patents, both for smartphones and for ...

Space shuttle Atlantis' final trip short but still a challenge
Los Angeles Times
Moving the space shuttle Atlantis to its new home in Florida next month won't be as difficult as Endeavour's recent journey through Los Angeles, but it still presents challenges. (John Raoux/Associated Press / October 19, 2012) ...

State wildlife officials report strong year for loggerhead sea turtle nesting in Florida
The Republic
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — State wildlife officials are reporting a strong year for loggerhead sea turtle nesting in Florida. Researchers surveyed 250 miles of beaches and counted 58,172 loggerhead nests. That's one of the highest counts since monitoring began ...

iPhones 5 date & time error, result of Verizon network problem
Northern Voices Online
The gadget has faced many issues. But Apple iPhones 5's date and time error is the result of Verizon network problem. IPhone 5 customers are experiencing a glitch with the date and time on their iPhones a website called WebProNews is reporting. The first ...

Apple Now Working On Immense Oregon Data Center
Social Barrel
Tweet · Tweet. Apple has reportedly begun the first phase of its massive $68-million data center in Prineville, Oregon, a local media outlet reports. According to The Oregonian, Apple has begun clearing and flattening the land for two buildings which will house ...

Social Barrel

More Photographs of Alleged 13 Inch Retina Macbook Pro Surface, Authenticity ...
Macgasm
With the possible media briefing from Apple looming just over the horizon, now's the perfect time to take bets on how many of these unverified glimpses of the as-yet-unreleased 13-inch Macbook Pro 

Facebook closing “Questions” feature
imediamonkey
Originally launched in July 2010, Questions allowed Facebook users to simply put ask questions to a wider audience rather than just to friends. Answers could be from experts in that field too as well as personal answers from of course friends. It has now been ...

Glenelgs on Earth and Mars twinned
BBC News
The small Scottish community of Glenelg has held a ceremony to twin itself with its namesake on Mars. Nasa's roving robotic laboratory, Curiosity, is headed for a geological feature on the Red Planet that has been called Glenelg. Back on Earth, residents of ...

BBC News

Online censorship
WatertownDailyTimes.com
Twitter moved into the realm of censorship last week when it blocked content that German authorities considered undesirable. The online social networking service that enables users to send and receive “tweets” of up to 140 characters complied with a ...

2014 Chevrolet Corvette: New Logo and All-New Design Require Temporary ...
Food World News
With a new logo and an completely revamped design, the 2014 Chevrolet Corvette will make its debut on January 13, 2013. It is the seventh generation of the legendary American sports car over the last six decades. General Motors announced to temporarily ...

Food World News

Apple picks up Color Labs
AppPicker.com
Color Labs launched a new mobile photo sharing and social networking app last year, and if reports are correct, Apple has acquired it. The Next Web reported that Cupertino purchased Color Labs for a significant amount: high double digits. The deal hasn't ...

AppPicker.com

Apple ditches Java
ITP.net
The next Mac OS upgrade will remove Oracle's Java runtime suite from computers, Apple Inc announced on its support forum. Both Oracle and Apple declined to comment and no reason was given for the removal, reports Reuters. Having previously bundled ...

ITP.net

32GB Nexus 7 tablets hitting retail stores Oct. 29
VentureBeat
If you're planning to buy one of Google's signature Nexus 7 tablets, you might want to hold off for a while. Various reports are circulating that many retail stores now have the 32GB Nexus 7 in stock, but were instructed not to sell them until Oct. 29. At least a few ...

VentureBeat

Decision looms over Google monopoly probe
Times LIVE
The Federal Trade Commission is widely reported to be nearing a decision on whether to pursue Google for monopoly abuses, at the same time European regulators are conducting a similar review. At least one member of Congress is warning the FTC to be...

Times LIVE

Mass Effect 4 won't involve Shepard, "the trilogy is over"
TweakTown
BioWare Montreal producer, Fabrice Condominas, sat down for a chat with VG247 where he discussed that the studio feels Commander Shepard has had his time to shine in Mass Effect, and that it's now time for another character to take the lead in Mass ...

TweakTown

CEA officially brands 4K as Ultra HD, gets ready for a flood of new displays at CES
Engadget
Now that HDTV is "the new normal" according to Nielsen (its most recent stats say more than 75 percent of US households have one) then naturally, it's time to upgrade to 4K. This week the Consumer Electronics Association officially dubbed such screens ...

Sony Nexus X was a hoax
The Droid Guy
We have been seeing a lot or rumors about a Sony branded Nexus device for more than a couple of weeks now. And I am pretty sure that Sony smart phone fans have been very happy and waiting for the release of the smart phone to the market in the coming...

The Droid Guy

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