18 May 2013

Google Play Music looks a #fail

One wonders why the advertising giant Google (it's really in the advertising business) is unwilling or unable to offer a "free ad-supported version" of its music service. At the same time, compared to Spotify (and others), its catalog is not as broad (read more below)--

Google Play Music All Access vs. Spotify
CNET
Google's latest subscription music service may not be up to the challenge of taking on Spotify. . . when a company with as many resources as Google squirts out something as watered down as All Access, I feel righteously compelled to point out the many clear advantages of choosing Spotify instead. Tune in next month when I repeat this same argument against what will likely be Apple's even more poorly conceived and restrictive plan for an iTunes subscription program....


Razer Unveils Atrox Arcade Stick for Xbox 360
PC Magazine
Razer today unveiled the Atrox Arcade Stick, an Xbox 360 controller intended for modders and tournament gamers. The Atrox will retail for $199.99 and will be released in Japan this month before expanding worldwide in June. Pre-orders begin May 21 on ...

Meta glasses bring 3D and your hands into the picture
CNET
The startup is launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund manufacturing of the first generation augmented reality glasses for app developers. Dan Farber. by Dan Farber. May 17, 2013 9:01 AM PDT Follow @dbfarber. Meron Gribetz and Ben Sand want to get rid ...

Newspaper Site Is Hacked
New York Times
The Web site and several Twitter accounts belonging to The Financial Times were hacked on Fridayby the Syrian Electronic Army in a continuing campaign that has aimed at an array of media outlets ranging from The Associated Press to the parody site The ...

In a Blow to BlackBerry, Department of Defense Okays Apple Devices
Businessweek
Uncle Sam is finally an Apple (AAPL) fan. The Pentagon today approved the use of iPads, iPhones and other Apple products by its soldiers, sailors and pilots. The announcement, though expected, is less of a win for Apple than a defeat for BlackBerry. Almost ...

Glasses with Google Glass: Prescription versions appear at Google I/O
CNET
What about Google Glass for those who don't like contacts? A few glasses with Glass attached were lurking on the show floor. --Google Glass currently comes in five ...

Unreleased Nintendo Wii U Games Coming to Best Buy During E3
PC Magazine
In an unprecedented move, Nintendo will bring several unreleased Wii U games to Best Buy stores during next month's E3 and let fans try them out. "In the past, we've focused the E3 hands-on experience on those attending the event. But this year, we're ...

Google woos developers as spotlight turns to software
PCWorld
Google did its best to court developers at this year's I/O conference with a much-needed integrated developer environment, API for better games, and the capability to more easily translate apps. Their allegiance will become increasingly important as ...

Mozilla delays turning on third-party cookie killer in Firefox
Ars Technica
With Firefox 22 now in beta Mozilla has decided not to enable its new third-party cookie-blocking feature by default. The feature, aimed at preventing cross-site tracking of browser users with cookies not originating from the sites users visit, will still be available ...

Sprint grabs US Cellular spectrum, customers for $...
CNET
Sprint's network will soon receive a much-needed boost in some Midwestern cities like Chicago and St. Louis, Missouri. The wireless carrier announced on Friday that it finished inking a deal with regional service provider U.S. Cellular, which is based in the ...

Google, NASA Team On Quantum Computing
InformationWeek
NASA, Google and university researchers get access to new quantum computer, as NASA tackles complex problems ranging from air traffic to robotics. Space ...

Google's Larry Page Donates Millions for Research on Voice Loss - eWeek
eWeek
After sharing that he was suffering from vocal paralysis, Google's CEO Larry Page has donated millions of dollars to the Voice Health Institute to aid research on solving problems that lead to human voice loss. Google CEO Larry Page has announced that he ...

Pinterest Now Lets You Send Pins Directly to Friends
PC Magazine
The next time you're perusing Pinterest and find a mouthwatering dinner recipe, great decorating idea, or amazing piece of jewelry, you'll be able to share it with a friend or family member with the push of a button. The social pinboard service this week began ...

Electric Cars on Mars and Earth: How They Stack Up
Space.com
Electric cars may still play second fiddle to gas-guzzlers here on Earth, but they've dominated the Martian driving scene for more than a decade. NASA's tiny Sojourner rover hit the red dirt in 1997, followed by the golf-cart-size twins Spirit and Opportunity in ...

Samsung TecTiles Finally Come to Galaxy S4 - Mashable
Mashable
TecTiles are Samsung's near-field communications (NFC) stickers that be placed around the house or car, so you can automate certain tasks. samsung-tectiles-640. Want to dim the lights and not get up from the couch? How about activate a media player from ...

Archos Unveils Cheap Android Tablet With 3G
PC Magazine
Archos this week unveiled an 8-inch Android tablet with built-in 3G set to debut next month for $199.99. The Archos 80 xenon runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and comes packed with everything Google: Play, Talk, Maps, Drive, Google+, and the Google Now ...

Saudi Web Sites Under Attack Following Surveillance Accusations
New York Times (blog)
The Saudi Interior Ministry said Friday that several government Web sites have come under attack in a campaign hackers are calling #OpSaudi. Hackers who identify with the loose hacking collective Anonymous have aimed at several government Web sites, ...

Q&A: The Future of the Kepler Spacecraft - National Geographic News
National Geographic
NASA unexpectedly announced this week that Kepler, the planet-hunting spacecraft, has put itself in a safe mode and gone offline. One of the orbiting telescope's star-tracker instruments, called a reaction wheel, has failed, rendering the telescope unable to ...

'Crazy ants' a threat in southern US
CNN
(CNN) -- Beware the "crazy ants." Researchers at the University of Texas are warning that the invasive species from South America has the potential to change the ecological balance in the southeastern United States, largely because the ants can wipe out ...

NASA craft to visit asteroid approved, destination chosen
CNET (blog)
The Osiris-Rex spacecraft has been approved for development, and NASA plans to send it to meet up with asteroid Bennu within the next five years. A rendering of Osiris-Rex from a ...

Alaska volcano 'fountaining' with fire, spreading expansive ash cloud
CNN
(CNN) -- Alaskans and air travelers remained on alert Thursday due to the rumblings of a more than 8,000-foot volcano emitting a "continuous ash, steam and gas cloud" that already extends up to 60 miles away. The Alaska Volcano Observatory noted ...

Today's Tech: "Evil" tax dodging Google, LinkedIn boots out prostitutes and ...
ITProPortal
The biggest announcement from the Blackberry Live conference this week was arguably the news that its popular messaging application BBM will be heading to both Android and iOS this summer. "We will make BBM available as the premiere multiplatform ...

Foxconn factories are making progress, but working hours still exceed Chinese ...
PCWorld
Employees at the Chinese factories of Apple supplier Foxconn continue to work beyond the country's legal limit of 49 hours a month, according to a report from the Fair Labor Association (FLA). But the Taiwanese manufacturer is making overall steady ...

'Apple does not funnel its domestic profits overseas,' Cook says. | AP Photo
Politico
Apple is under so much pressure in Washington over its offshore cash that it's doing things it almost never does. CEO Tim Cook is coming to Washington to testify in front of a panel of senators about stashing more than $100 billion overseas, rather than ...

Scientists study violent winds of Uranus
Fox News
Screaming winds of infernal violence alternate with periods of dead calm as one nears the surface of Uranus, according to a new analysis of the gas giant. The turbulent weather patterns on gaseous planets has long been known -- think of the giant storm ...

Strongbox: New Yorker's salvo in the 'war between data capture and privacy'
The Guardian
When Kevin Poulsen, a former hacker who now edits at Wired magazine, came up with the idea two years ago of creating an open-source drop box for leaked documents along the lines of WikiLeaks, he could not have imagined that its launch would coincide ...

Samsung on the verge of selling 10 millionth Galaxy S 4 smartphone
Los Angeles Times
It hasn't even been on sale for a month, but already the Galaxy S 4 is about to sell its 10 millionth unit. Shin Jong-kyun, Samsung's co-chief executive, said the company believes the GS4 could hit that mark as soon as next week, according to the Korea Times.

CW Bringing Shows to Apple TV Via New App
PC Magazine
This week has seen a number of major developments in the arena of next-generation television content distribution. Now another established player, the CW network, has announced plans to launch an app that will bring its shows to Apple TV, bypassing ...

Big Bang: Biggest meteorite explosion rocks the Moon
RT
NASA scientists have recorded the biggest ever meteorite impact on the Moon, with an explosion equal to 5 tons of TNT. The event is part of 'lunar meteor showers' observed by astronauts of the Moon exploration program. The 40-kg meteorite measuring 0.3 ...

The Other Climate Science Gap
New York Times (blog)
Much has been made this week of the gap between what the public thinks about the consensus among climate scientists over the human factor in global warming and the actual level of consensus. The discussion has centered on a new study reviewing how ...

Intel ex-CEO looks back at biggest blown call: Missing out on the iPhone
CNET
Paul Otellini, who retired as the chip giant's CEO on Thursday, tells The Atlantic that he didn't do what it takes for Intel to be in Apple's initial smartphone. Shara Tibken. by Shara Tibken. May 16, 2013 3:35 PM PDT Follow @sharatibken. Paul Otellini retired as ...

Flagship San Francisco Apple Store Moving to Bigger Digs
PC Magazine
The tech giant is gearing up to move its flagship retail store in the City by the Bay just a few blocks over to a larger space in the heart of the city's high-end shopping district. Apple has submitted plans to open a new store at Stockton and Post streets in Union ...

Pebble scores US$15 million Series A round, releases PebbleKit
ZDNet
Summary: The team behind the Pebble smart watch has picked up Series A funding from US investors, allowing it to expand its support team for third-party developers. Michael Lee. By Michael Lee | May 17, 2013 -- 03:49 GMT (20:49 PDT). Follow @mukimu ...

Google Lets You Send Money With Gmail
InformationWeek
In an effort to boost the popularity of Google Wallet and free it from dependence on Android phones, Google is trying to make online commerce social and viral. On Wednesday at its developers' conference Google I/O, the company announced it has integrated ...

Microsoft planning Xbox dashboard UI and tile changes in preparation for next ...
The Verge
Microsoft is preparing to update its Xbox 360 with another dashboard update. Sources familiar with Microsoft's Xbox plans have revealed to The Verge that the dashboard update will enter into a public beta in late June or early July, with changes and updates ...

Google Makes Android, but Samsung Makes All the Money
Businessweek
According to Neil Mawston at Strategy Analytics, Samsung captured almost 95 percent of all Android profits in the first quarter of 2013. It pulled in $5.1 billion, leaving only $200 million for LG (066570), Motorola (which, let's not forget, is owned by Google ...

Melting Glaciers Making Significant Contribution to Rising Sea Levels
Nature World News
The Chapman Glacier located on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut Territory, Canada, is seen in this July 29, 2000 satellite image courtesy of NASA. (Photo : REUTERS/NASA/GSFC/METI/Japan Space Systems/US-Japan). Despite the fact that 99 percent of Earth's ...

League of Legends Patch 3.7 Brings Custom Item Sets and Some Nerfs - WarCry
WarCry
Custom item sets dominate League of Legends Patch 3.7, while your favorite champ probably got nerfed. Simply put, Patch 3.7 for League of Legends is awesome. Riot Games released their patch notes for this update yesterday, and considering none of my ...

One giant step for humankind - Sydney Morning Herald
Sydney Morning Herald
The year is 1998. A group of US scientists has announced it is the first to isolate human embryonic stem cells - the starting point of all cells before they transform into specialised entities that drive our heart, lung or brain. As with many scientific achievements ...

Kim Dotcom Can Appeal for FBI Files, N.Z. Court Says
HispanicBusiness.com
German internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom can appeal to see the US government files on his case, the New Zealand Supreme Court ruled Thursday. Dotcom is trying to overturn an earlier decision by the Court of Appeal that said full disclosure was not ...

United Nations Identifies Future Super Food - WTVY
WTVY, Dothan
They say its got lots of protein, is nutritious and usually has a satisfying crunch. We're talking about insects. The Food and Agriculture Organization says eating bugs may combat global hunger. Insects are already part of the diet in certain regions of the world.

Lulzsec hacker group given jail time following Sony, Nintendo attacks
Computerandvideogames.com
Click to view larger image · Zoom Ryan Cleary was given 32 months in jail, Jake Davis is to serve two years and Ryan Ackroyd was jailed for 30 months. Mustafa al-Bassam received a 20-month suspended sentence, reports BBC. Ackroyd last month entered ...

PSA: The Original Karateka Is Now Available For iOS And Android
TechCrunch
I remember waking up 6am, going downstairs, and firing up my Atari 800XL. The disk labeled Karateka inserted, the drive would grunt a few dozen times and the screen would flash. Suddenly, with barely any warning, the opening titles would appear and then ...

Review: Metro: Last Light (PlayStation 3)
Push Square
Based on the novel by Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro: Last Light is the sequel to 2010's Metro 2033, and although the post-apocalyptic shooter never arrived at any Sony stations, its successor pulls out all of the stops to make up for lost time. Set in the metro ...

NVIDIA Shield now available for preorder
The Full Signal
The NVIDIA Shield portable, Android-powered gaming console is now available for preorder and you can pick up the console for $349 from a variety of online stores. The NVIDIA Shield is available for preorder right now from NVIDIA, Newegg, Gamestop and ...
Links to Apple Maps are redirecting users to Google Maps on the web | Digital TrendsTechCrunch has uncovered another oddity in the application. Apparently, rather than diverting attention away from Google Maps as planned, Apple Maps is sending users into Google’s open arms. 


GPS IIF-4 successfully launched from Cape Canaveral: "A U.S. Air Force Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite built by Boeing was successfully launched May 15. The fourth GPS IIF satellite, Space Vehicle Number (SVN) 66, was carried aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V Launch Vehicle at 5:38 p.m. EDT from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The new capabilities of the IIF satellites will provide greater navigational accuracy through improvements in atomic clock technology; a more robust signal for commercial aviation and safety-of-life applications, known as the new third civil signal (L5); and a 12-year design life providing long-term service. These upgrades improved anti-jam capabilities for the warfighter and improved security for military and civil users around the world. . . ."

more technology news below



No comments:

technology news - Google News

Amazon News

Apple News

Facebook News

Google News

Microsoft News

Yahoo News

BBC News - Technology

CNET News - Business Tech

Engadget

NYT > Technology

PCWorld Latest Technology News

SAI: Silicon Alley Insider

TechCrunch

Digits

Alive in the Cloud