Showing posts with label Bitcoin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bitcoin. Show all posts
21 September 2015
Bitcoin XT: What Is It and Why Was It Released? (video)
Bitcoin XT: What Is It and Why Was It Released? (video above) - Published on Sep 18, 2015: Bitcoin was built on the sort of open-source ethos that has driven generations of geeks. But the same principles it celebrates—a decentralized network of contributors, a transparent code base—are allowing competitors to flourish. The bitcoin faithful aren’t so sure that’s a good thing. Anthem Vault's Anthem Blanchard, Forrester's James McQuivey, and Bloomberg's Olga Kharif speak on "Bloomberg West," August 19th, 2015.
more technology news below ( @ web version--link below)
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07 April 2015
2 Federal Agents Charged with Stealing Bitcoin
2 Federal Agents Charged with Stealing Bitcoin -
Blockchain Technology Consumer Solutions CEO Charles Allen reports on the “BWest Byte." He speaks with Bloomberg's Cory Johnson on “Bloomberg West” on March 31st (Source: Bloomberg)
more technology news below ( @ web version--link below)
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Blockchain Technology Consumer Solutions CEO Charles Allen reports on the “BWest Byte." He speaks with Bloomberg's Cory Johnson on “Bloomberg West” on March 31st (Source: Bloomberg)
more technology news below ( @ web version--link below)
Follow @expricom
15 December 2014
Tech News: Mark Zuckerberg Q&A (video), Government Malware
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, sidestepping communication through the media, held his second public question-and-answer session to address users directly. (Bloomberg 12/12)
Antivirus Companies Shouldn’t Have Hidden What They Knew About Regin Government Malware | MIT Technology Review: "Antivirus companies had tracked the sophisticated—and likely U.S.-backed—Regin malware for years. But they kept what they learned to themselves. Last week we learned about a striking piece of malware called Regin that has been infecting computer networks worldwide since 2008. It’s more sophisticated than any known criminal malware, and everyone believes a government is behind it. No country has taken credit for Regin, but there’s substantial evidence that it was built and operated by the United States. This isn’t the first government malware discovered. GhostNet is believed to be Chinese. Red October and Turla are believed to be Russian. The Mask is probably Spanish. Stuxnet and Flame are probably from the U.S. All these were discovered in the past five years, and named by researchers who inferred their creators from clues such as who the malware targeted. I dislike the “cyberwar” metaphor for espionage and hacking, but there is a war of sorts going on in cyberspace. Countries are using these weapons against each other. This affects all of us not just because we might be citizens of one of these countries, but because we are all potentially collateral damage...."
HP Will Release a “Revolutionary” New Operating System in 2015 | MIT Technology Review: "...The main difference between The Machine and conventional computers is that HP’s design will use a single kind of memory for both temporary and long-term data storage. Existing computers store their operating systems, programs, and files on either a hard disk drive or a flash drive. To run a program or load a document, data must be retrieved from the hard drive and loaded into a form of memory, called RAM, that is much faster but can’t store data very densely or keep hold of it when the power is turned off. HP plans to use a single kind of memory—in the form of memristors—for both long- and short-term data storage in The Machine..."
Quartz
The war against Google in Europe is escalating—but will it make any difference?
Quartz
Also yesterday, on another company blog, Google noted the release of a ... That spurred responses from Google, Yelp, and the Microsoft-sponsored ...
Wall Street Journal
Google pulls Amazon app from Play Store listing
CNNMoney
Amazon and Google are having an app store standoff, resulting in the ... avoiding the standoffs with app developers that Apple (AAPL, Tech30) is so ...
Google Removed Amazon's App From The Play Store - Business Insider
With Amazon Facing $1.5 Billion Income Tax Bill, Bezos Too Busy To Testify
Forbes
Amazon is in quite a tax battle with the IRS. According the Amazon 10-K (downloadable) there is about $1.5 billion in taxes at stake spread over a ...
CNET
Apple under scrutiny in Canada for its contracts with carriers
CNET
Canada's Competition Bureau said Thursday that it is investigating whether contracts that Apple's Canadian unit has with the country's domestic ...
Fortune
Google gives a big 'nyet' to Russian engineering operations
Fortune
The tech publication, which cites anonymous sources, adds that the Google engineers, most of whom are located in Moscow, will have the option of ...
Google Translate Adds 10 New Asian and African Languages
The Next Web
Multilinguals can now learn to say hello in 90 languages using Google Translate, ... You Can Now Shop atApple's Online Store with Paypal ... Microsoft sends out invites for Windows 10 event at headquarters on January 21 ... Mark Zuckerberg is thinking about how to let you 'Dislike' things on Facebook.
Selling Beats to Apple made Dr. Dre 2014's highest-paid musician
The Verge
Dr. Dre made an enormous amount of money in 2014. Forbes puts his single-year payday at $620 million, which is the most of any musician in history.
Google's Android Studio 1.0 Makes Building Apps Easy
Lifehacker
Windows/OS X/Linux: Google's Android Studio is out of beta, replacing Eclipse as the standard for Android application development. Aspiring Android ...
Industry Views: What Does Microsoft Mean for Bitcoin?
CoinDesk
Following Microsoft's decision to embrace bitcoin, CoinDesk surveys thought leaders in the industry for ...Technology ... Microsoft took the bitcoin world by surprise late last night with the sudden announcement that it would allow ...
more technology news below ( @ web version--link below)
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23 June 2014
Digital Payment Competition Heats Up With Dwolla (video)
Digital Payment Competition Heats Up With Dwolla: Video - Bloomberg:
(Allow video to load after clicking play)
Ben Milne, founder and CEO of Dwolla, discusses the company's digital payment system and the future of Bitcoin with Trish Regan on Bloomberg Television's "Street Smart." (Source: Bloomberg June 12)
Amazon Sets Fire to Its Money-Losing Business Plan - Bloomberg View: "....Ultimately, I think Amazon would have been better off investing the considerable time and effort it involved with the Fire Phone into better marketing of Prime, as well as into a concerted campaign to get users to add and use an Amazon app -- with Firefly functionality -- on their existing smartphones. Those Apple-like phone margins may look attractive in the short term, but hasn't Amazon always been the king of the long term?"
Supreme Court raises bar on software patent claims - CNET: "... The court consistently has upheld the idea that abstract ideas, such as methods of doing business, are not patentable. This could call into question thousands of patents, as Thomas explained that "the mere recitation of a generic computer cannot transform a patent-ineligible abstract idea into a patent-eligible invention." He applied the same logic to Alice's other patent claims of unique method and unique medium...."
Google Considering Investment in New Trans-Pacific Cable - WSJ: "Much of Google's bandwidth is reserved for its private "B4" network, which shuttles emails, YouTube videos and other traffic among about a dozen of its data centers. The network, now more than three years old, already carries more traffic than the public-facing one Google uses to send its search results and YouTube videos to the Internet, according to a white paper the company published last year. Web companies flush with cash are filling a void left by telecom companies that aren't plowing as much money into new backbone network capacity. "The amount that each carrier invests is not increasing at all," according to Shota Masuda, senior manager of Japanese supplier NEC Corp.'s submarine network division. "The newcomers like Google and Facebook are filling in the gap.""
Facebook Is Altering What Ads You See
The Ledger
NEW YORK | If you use Facebook, the specific ads you see have been based mostly on what you do on Facebook — your profile information, status ...
Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google: Month in review on ZDNet Mobile News
ZDNet
There's been a wide range of coverage this month on ZDNet Mobile News, from the recently announced Fire phone from Amazon to some new ...
With Google, an Eye on New Screens
Wall Street Journal
Called I/O, the Google conference promises to be much broader in scope than Apple's, reflecting the ambitions of Chief Executive Larry Page. Apple ...
Facebook, Twitter, Google Score Big During World Cup
NewsChannel5.com
NEW YORK (AP) - Twitter and Facebook lit up in a World Cup frenzy this week ...Google, meanwhile, tracked more than 641 million World Cup-related ...
Yahoo aims to be a mobile company
SFGate
Facebook is on top of the world of mobile advertising, but analysts say that Yahoo is positioned to stay competitive in this rapidly growing world.
FCC Hits Chinese Company with Record Fine for Selling Signal Jammers
PC Magazine
C.T.S. Technology Co. Ltd allegedly marketed a total of 285 different signal jammers over the span of two years or so. 0shares. Signal Jammer. The Federal Communications Commission has announced a record-breaking fine against Chinese electronics ...
Can Obama save the honey bees?
Christian Science Monitor
President Obama ordered US agencies to come up with a plan for protecting honey bees. Why just a plan? Why isn't the US banning neonicotinoids, a kind of pesticide that some research shows is killing off US honey bees?...
Nexus 8 to Run on Android 4.5 Lollipop, Slated for July-August Release: Reports
Design & Trend
Reports have been swirling that Google Nexus 8 will be an 8-inch tablet that will run on Android 4.5 “Lollipop” instead of KitKat, and is said to feature a Qualcomm applications processor...
(Allow video to load after clicking play)
Ben Milne, founder and CEO of Dwolla, discusses the company's digital payment system and the future of Bitcoin with Trish Regan on Bloomberg Television's "Street Smart." (Source: Bloomberg June 12)
Amazon Sets Fire to Its Money-Losing Business Plan - Bloomberg View: "....Ultimately, I think Amazon would have been better off investing the considerable time and effort it involved with the Fire Phone into better marketing of Prime, as well as into a concerted campaign to get users to add and use an Amazon app -- with Firefly functionality -- on their existing smartphones. Those Apple-like phone margins may look attractive in the short term, but hasn't Amazon always been the king of the long term?"
Supreme Court raises bar on software patent claims - CNET: "... The court consistently has upheld the idea that abstract ideas, such as methods of doing business, are not patentable. This could call into question thousands of patents, as Thomas explained that "the mere recitation of a generic computer cannot transform a patent-ineligible abstract idea into a patent-eligible invention." He applied the same logic to Alice's other patent claims of unique method and unique medium...."
Google Considering Investment in New Trans-Pacific Cable - WSJ: "Much of Google's bandwidth is reserved for its private "B4" network, which shuttles emails, YouTube videos and other traffic among about a dozen of its data centers. The network, now more than three years old, already carries more traffic than the public-facing one Google uses to send its search results and YouTube videos to the Internet, according to a white paper the company published last year. Web companies flush with cash are filling a void left by telecom companies that aren't plowing as much money into new backbone network capacity. "The amount that each carrier invests is not increasing at all," according to Shota Masuda, senior manager of Japanese supplier NEC Corp.'s submarine network division. "The newcomers like Google and Facebook are filling in the gap.""
Facebook Is Altering What Ads You See
The Ledger
NEW YORK | If you use Facebook, the specific ads you see have been based mostly on what you do on Facebook — your profile information, status ...
Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google: Month in review on ZDNet Mobile News
ZDNet
There's been a wide range of coverage this month on ZDNet Mobile News, from the recently announced Fire phone from Amazon to some new ...
With Google, an Eye on New Screens
Wall Street Journal
Called I/O, the Google conference promises to be much broader in scope than Apple's, reflecting the ambitions of Chief Executive Larry Page. Apple ...
Facebook, Twitter, Google Score Big During World Cup
NewsChannel5.com
NEW YORK (AP) - Twitter and Facebook lit up in a World Cup frenzy this week ...Google, meanwhile, tracked more than 641 million World Cup-related ...
Yahoo aims to be a mobile company
SFGate
Facebook is on top of the world of mobile advertising, but analysts say that Yahoo is positioned to stay competitive in this rapidly growing world.
FCC Hits Chinese Company with Record Fine for Selling Signal Jammers
PC Magazine
C.T.S. Technology Co. Ltd allegedly marketed a total of 285 different signal jammers over the span of two years or so. 0shares. Signal Jammer. The Federal Communications Commission has announced a record-breaking fine against Chinese electronics ...
Can Obama save the honey bees?
Christian Science Monitor
President Obama ordered US agencies to come up with a plan for protecting honey bees. Why just a plan? Why isn't the US banning neonicotinoids, a kind of pesticide that some research shows is killing off US honey bees?...
Nexus 8 to Run on Android 4.5 Lollipop, Slated for July-August Release: Reports
Design & Trend
Reports have been swirling that Google Nexus 8 will be an 8-inch tablet that will run on Android 4.5 “Lollipop” instead of KitKat, and is said to feature a Qualcomm applications processor...
18 June 2014
Managing Your Digital Past (video); Bitcoin 51% attack
Managing Your Digital Past: Video - Bloomberg:
(Allow video to load after clicking play)
Open Rights Group Executive Director Jim Killock discusses the debate between people’s “right to be forgotten” online and the right to view an uncensored web after the EU’s top court ruled that people can ask search-engine owners to remove personal information. He speaks to Anna Edwards and Mark Barton on Bloomberg Television’s “Countdown.” (Source: Bloomberg June 12)
What is a 51 percent attack and why is it a threat to Bitcoin's future? - Everything you need to know about bitcoin - Vox: "... So long as computing power is decentralized, no one can tamper with the blockchain. If someone tries to alter a block that has already been accepted by the network, that person's change will be "shouted down" by the majority of miners who have already accepted the block as an official part of the blockchain. But that could change if someone gained control of a majority of the network's computing power. This is known in the Bitcoin community as a 51 percent attack. And that has become an increasingly serious concern in recent months. Miners have organized themselves into pools that work together and share the proceeds of their efforts. And in June 2014, a mining pool called GHash gained slightly more than 50 percent of the network's computing power...."
YouTube to block indie labels who don't sign up to new music service | Technology | theguardian.com: "...The company's head of content and business operations, Robert Kyncl, told the Financial Times that the service – previously rumoured to be called YouTube Music Pass – will launch more widely later in the year. His confirmation that YouTube will block videos from labels that do not sign licensing deals for the new premium tier will be hugely controversial among indie labels, with trade body WIN already filing a complaint to the European Commission about its negotiating strategy...."
Wireline isn't the only net neutrality fight you should care about
BGR
U.S. regulators are apparently considering whether to take a fresh look at wireless and wireline networks and whether to apply the same net neutrality rules to both fixed and wireless Internet traffic, Reuters writes. These two types of Internet providers offer ...
Three things you need to know about the phone Amazon is...
The Verge
The Amazon phone is coming. Finally. At least that's what the company is very likely to announce at a big press event this Wednesday. Amazon has long been rumored to be working on a smartphone follow up to its line of Kindle Fire tablets, and all signs are ...
Google Adds Step-By-Step Instructions to Search Results: "Google got a little smarter once again this week. Now, if you search for something that Google knows has a step-by-step answer, it will give those steps to you above the search results.P For example, if you search gmail export contacts, Google will give you step-by-step instructions for exporting your address book. It works for non-Google stuff, too...."
Facebook takes another shot at Snapchat with Slingshot
USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook hopes its new Slingshot app will get people talking. The widely anticipated mobile app is being released today in the ...
Amazon Phone Looks To Be AT&T Exclusive
InformationWeek
Back in 2007, AT&T was the sole carrier to offer Apple's iPhone. ... carrier to sell theFacebook phone (HTC First), among other firsts and exclusives.
Microsoft Embraces Open With IE Developer Channel
InformationWeek
Microsoft on Monday launched Internet Explorer Developer Channel, ... IE Developer Channel could help by shifting Microsoft's Web efforts toward the ... rapid-release models favored by competitors such as Mozilla and Google. .... Apple just held WWDC, where the theme of the day was more open ...
Google Faces Fresh Antitrust Complaint in Europe
Wall Street Journal
Android commands 81% of the mobile market....
(Allow video to load after clicking play)
Open Rights Group Executive Director Jim Killock discusses the debate between people’s “right to be forgotten” online and the right to view an uncensored web after the EU’s top court ruled that people can ask search-engine owners to remove personal information. He speaks to Anna Edwards and Mark Barton on Bloomberg Television’s “Countdown.” (Source: Bloomberg June 12)
What is a 51 percent attack and why is it a threat to Bitcoin's future? - Everything you need to know about bitcoin - Vox: "... So long as computing power is decentralized, no one can tamper with the blockchain. If someone tries to alter a block that has already been accepted by the network, that person's change will be "shouted down" by the majority of miners who have already accepted the block as an official part of the blockchain. But that could change if someone gained control of a majority of the network's computing power. This is known in the Bitcoin community as a 51 percent attack. And that has become an increasingly serious concern in recent months. Miners have organized themselves into pools that work together and share the proceeds of their efforts. And in June 2014, a mining pool called GHash gained slightly more than 50 percent of the network's computing power...."
YouTube to block indie labels who don't sign up to new music service | Technology | theguardian.com: "...The company's head of content and business operations, Robert Kyncl, told the Financial Times that the service – previously rumoured to be called YouTube Music Pass – will launch more widely later in the year. His confirmation that YouTube will block videos from labels that do not sign licensing deals for the new premium tier will be hugely controversial among indie labels, with trade body WIN already filing a complaint to the European Commission about its negotiating strategy...."
Wireline isn't the only net neutrality fight you should care about
BGR
U.S. regulators are apparently considering whether to take a fresh look at wireless and wireline networks and whether to apply the same net neutrality rules to both fixed and wireless Internet traffic, Reuters writes. These two types of Internet providers offer ...
Three things you need to know about the phone Amazon is...
The Verge
The Amazon phone is coming. Finally. At least that's what the company is very likely to announce at a big press event this Wednesday. Amazon has long been rumored to be working on a smartphone follow up to its line of Kindle Fire tablets, and all signs are ...
Google Adds Step-By-Step Instructions to Search Results: "Google got a little smarter once again this week. Now, if you search for something that Google knows has a step-by-step answer, it will give those steps to you above the search results.P For example, if you search gmail export contacts, Google will give you step-by-step instructions for exporting your address book. It works for non-Google stuff, too...."
Facebook takes another shot at Snapchat with Slingshot
USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — Facebook hopes its new Slingshot app will get people talking. The widely anticipated mobile app is being released today in the ...
Amazon Phone Looks To Be AT&T Exclusive
InformationWeek
Back in 2007, AT&T was the sole carrier to offer Apple's iPhone. ... carrier to sell theFacebook phone (HTC First), among other firsts and exclusives.
Microsoft Embraces Open With IE Developer Channel
InformationWeek
Microsoft on Monday launched Internet Explorer Developer Channel, ... IE Developer Channel could help by shifting Microsoft's Web efforts toward the ... rapid-release models favored by competitors such as Mozilla and Google. .... Apple just held WWDC, where the theme of the day was more open ...
Google Faces Fresh Antitrust Complaint in Europe
Wall Street Journal
Android commands 81% of the mobile market....
Sales of Nest smoke detector resume at lower price
Businessweek
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google's Nest Labs is resuming sales and lowering the price of a high-tech smoke detector that was pulled from the market after malfunctioning. The new price for the detector, called "Nest Protect," will be $99 when sales resume ...
Businessweek
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Google's Nest Labs is resuming sales and lowering the price of a high-tech smoke detector that was pulled from the market after malfunctioning. The new price for the detector, called "Nest Protect," will be $99 when sales resume ...
British spies track Facebook, Google use
San Jose Mercury News
LONDON -- The U.K.'s electronic spy agency is legally allowed to track the online activities of millions of Britons who use U.S.-based platforms such as ...
Microsoft Office For iPad Vs. iWork Vs. Google
InformationWeek
We compare the free alternatives from Apple and Google. ... More than a year beforeMicrosoft released Office for iPad, many critics had already ...
Microsoft Brings Predictive Analysis To Azure
InformationWeek
Microsoft isn't synonymous with advanced analytics, like SAS and IBM SPSS, but it announced Monday that it hopes to take predictive analysis ...
San Jose Mercury News
LONDON -- The U.K.'s electronic spy agency is legally allowed to track the online activities of millions of Britons who use U.S.-based platforms such as ...
Microsoft Office For iPad Vs. iWork Vs. Google
InformationWeek
We compare the free alternatives from Apple and Google. ... More than a year beforeMicrosoft released Office for iPad, many critics had already ...
Microsoft Brings Predictive Analysis To Azure
InformationWeek
Microsoft isn't synonymous with advanced analytics, like SAS and IBM SPSS, but it announced Monday that it hopes to take predictive analysis ...
Jill Lepore: What the Theory of “Disruptive Innovation” Gets Wrong : The New Yorker: "Disruptive innovation is a theory about why businesses fail. It’s not more than that. It doesn’t explain change. It’s not a law of nature. It’s an artifact of history, an idea, forged in time; it’s the manufacture of a moment of upsetting and edgy uncertainty. Transfixed by change, it’s blind to continuity. It makes a very poor prophet."
more technology news below ( @ web version--link below)
Follow @expricom
more technology news below ( @ web version--link below)
Follow @expricom
17 June 2014
Is US Government Sanctioning Bitcoin With Auction? (video)
Is the Government Sanctioning Bitcoin With Auction?: Video - Bloomberg:
(Allow video to load after clicking play)
The U.S. government will start selling one of the largest caches of bitcoins, seized last year from the illicit Silk Road marketplace, triggering a decline in the virtual currency’s price. Coin Apex co-founder Alex Waters, TradeHill CEO Jared Kenna and Bloomberg's Matt Miller comment on Bloomberg Television's "Street Smart." (Source: Bloomberg, June 13)
Jonathan Ive on Apple's Design Process and Product Philosophy - NYTimes.com: "Innovation at Apple has always been a team game. It has always been a case where you have a number of small groups working together. The industrial design team is a very small team. We’ve worked together, most for 15 or 20 years. That’s a fairly typical story here: Creative teams are small and very focused. One of the underlying characteristics is being inquisitive and being curious. Some of those personal attributes and hallmarks haven’t changed at all."
Microsoft, Apple, Cisco seek to halt overseas snooping by US
San Jose Mercury News
NEW YORK -- Microsoft, Apple, Cisco Systems and two large American telecommunication companies are using a Manhattan court case to draw a line ...
Apple Reaches Settlement on E-Books Suit
Wall Street Journal
In a letter to U.S. District Judge Denise Cote, Steve Berman, an attorney representing consumers and some U.S. states, said Apple and the plaintiffs ...
Microsoft Supercharges Bing Search With Programmable Chips
Wired
The move is part of a larger effort to fix what is an increasingly worrisome problem for big web companies like Microsoft, Google, and Facebook.
Microsoft Embraces Open With IE Developer Channel
InformationWeek
Microsoft on Monday launched Internet Explorer Developer Channel, ... IE Developer Channel could help by shifting Microsoft's Web efforts toward the ... rapid-release models favored by competitors such as Mozilla and Google. .... Apple just held WWDC, where the theme of the day was more open ...
Microsoft readies public preview of cloud-based machine-learning service
ZDNet
Azure ML got its start as a Microsoft Research project that was codenamed "Passau."Microsoft's developers used the algorithms the company developed for services like Xbox Live ... Vice President Joseph Sirosh who joined Microsoft at the end of 2013 fromAmazon, where he was ... Facebook Activity ...
Amazon Appstore Selection Nearly Triples Year-Over-Year
Wall Street Journal
The Amazon Appstore now has over 240,000 apps and games, is available in ... The broad growth in the Amazon Appstore is enticing developers--the ... login in with their Amazon,Facebook or Google identities, leading to higher ...
Apple opens applications for $100 million program to improve tech in schools
Washington Post (blog)
Apple chief executive Tim Cook is starting to send out letters soliciting ... Several other firms, including Microsoft, Sprint and Verizon are also ...
Google's Balloon Internet Experiment, One Year Later
Wired
This Week's Apple Rumors, Ranked From Dumbest to Most Plausible .... A Loon balloon ascends to the stratosphere and heads toward Google's ... Earlier this month, Mike Cassidy, a project director at Google's high-risk .... (Facebook reportedly also bid on Titan; not long afterward it bought another ...
310 Microsoft patents used in Android licensing agreements revealed by Chinese gov
ZDNet
While Microsoft and Google are rivals in many arenas, Microsoft makes a ... scrutiny by the country's government, alongside IBM, Google and Apple.
Parallels Access goes universal, extends Mac and Windows remote desktop ...
Apple Insider
Parallels on Tuesday announced an update to its subscription-based Parallels Access remote desktop app, adding new gestures and controls to support operation on smartphones like Apple's iPhone. With the latest Parallels Access version 2.0 for iOS, the ...
(Allow video to load after clicking play)
The U.S. government will start selling one of the largest caches of bitcoins, seized last year from the illicit Silk Road marketplace, triggering a decline in the virtual currency’s price. Coin Apex co-founder Alex Waters, TradeHill CEO Jared Kenna and Bloomberg's Matt Miller comment on Bloomberg Television's "Street Smart." (Source: Bloomberg, June 13)
Jonathan Ive on Apple's Design Process and Product Philosophy - NYTimes.com: "Innovation at Apple has always been a team game. It has always been a case where you have a number of small groups working together. The industrial design team is a very small team. We’ve worked together, most for 15 or 20 years. That’s a fairly typical story here: Creative teams are small and very focused. One of the underlying characteristics is being inquisitive and being curious. Some of those personal attributes and hallmarks haven’t changed at all."
Microsoft, Apple, Cisco seek to halt overseas snooping by US
San Jose Mercury News
NEW YORK -- Microsoft, Apple, Cisco Systems and two large American telecommunication companies are using a Manhattan court case to draw a line ...
Apple Reaches Settlement on E-Books Suit
Wall Street Journal
In a letter to U.S. District Judge Denise Cote, Steve Berman, an attorney representing consumers and some U.S. states, said Apple and the plaintiffs ...
Microsoft Supercharges Bing Search With Programmable Chips
Wired
The move is part of a larger effort to fix what is an increasingly worrisome problem for big web companies like Microsoft, Google, and Facebook.
Microsoft Embraces Open With IE Developer Channel
InformationWeek
Microsoft on Monday launched Internet Explorer Developer Channel, ... IE Developer Channel could help by shifting Microsoft's Web efforts toward the ... rapid-release models favored by competitors such as Mozilla and Google. .... Apple just held WWDC, where the theme of the day was more open ...
Microsoft readies public preview of cloud-based machine-learning service
ZDNet
Azure ML got its start as a Microsoft Research project that was codenamed "Passau."Microsoft's developers used the algorithms the company developed for services like Xbox Live ... Vice President Joseph Sirosh who joined Microsoft at the end of 2013 fromAmazon, where he was ... Facebook Activity ...
Amazon Appstore Selection Nearly Triples Year-Over-Year
Wall Street Journal
The Amazon Appstore now has over 240,000 apps and games, is available in ... The broad growth in the Amazon Appstore is enticing developers--the ... login in with their Amazon,Facebook or Google identities, leading to higher ...
Apple opens applications for $100 million program to improve tech in schools
Washington Post (blog)
Apple chief executive Tim Cook is starting to send out letters soliciting ... Several other firms, including Microsoft, Sprint and Verizon are also ...
Google's Balloon Internet Experiment, One Year Later
Wired
This Week's Apple Rumors, Ranked From Dumbest to Most Plausible .... A Loon balloon ascends to the stratosphere and heads toward Google's ... Earlier this month, Mike Cassidy, a project director at Google's high-risk .... (Facebook reportedly also bid on Titan; not long afterward it bought another ...
310 Microsoft patents used in Android licensing agreements revealed by Chinese gov
ZDNet
While Microsoft and Google are rivals in many arenas, Microsoft makes a ... scrutiny by the country's government, alongside IBM, Google and Apple.
Parallels Access goes universal, extends Mac and Windows remote desktop ...
Apple Insider
Parallels on Tuesday announced an update to its subscription-based Parallels Access remote desktop app, adding new gestures and controls to support operation on smartphones like Apple's iPhone. With the latest Parallels Access version 2.0 for iOS, the ...
21 May 2014
Under FCC Proposal, US Internet Fast Lanes Would Actually Slow the Internet
So much for the FCC Net Neutrality [sic] proposal -- anyone want slow internet?
How the Web's Fast Lanes Would Work Without Net Neutrality - WSJ.com: "If U.S. regulators end up allowing telecom companies to set up fast lanes on the public Internet, companies that make the needed gear say the remaining service would inevitably get a little slower..."
Steve Wozniak to the FCC: Keep the Internet Free - Steve Wozniak - The Atlantic: "...Finally, the thought hit me that every time and in every way that the telecommunications careers have had power or control, we the people wind up getting screwed. Every audience that I speak this statement and phrase to bursts into applause. That's how the people think. They don't want this to encroach on their Internet freedom...."
Forget 'the Cloud,' Computing's Future Is in 'the Fog' - WSJ.com: "....Here's the reality: Getting data into and out of the cloud is harder than most engineers, or at least their managers, often are willing to admit. The problem is bandwidth....Overall, according to the World Economic Forum, the U.S. ranks 35th in the world in terms of bandwidth per user...."
Protecting Human Rights Online: Lessons from the Americas | Electronic Frontier Foundation: "... Here are the guiding principles for free expression and thought outlined by the report: Access: States should promote universal access, not only to infrastructure but also to technology necessary for its use, so as to make information on the Internet available to everyone. Pluralism: Maximizing the diversity of voices participating in the public debate is a goal in itself of the democratic process. In this sense, the report states that robust guarantees of the exercise of freedom of expression through the Internet are vital for opening up the public sphere. Non-discrimination: States must provide free access and user choice for sending and receiving any lawful content, application, or service through the Internet. Such content should not be subject to conditions, restrictions, and directives such as blocking, filtering, or interference. This is a necessary condition for exercising freedom of expression on the Internet. Privacy: Individual privacy should be carried out pursuant to reasonable and proportional standards that do not end up arbitrarily restricting the right to freedom of expression...."
China does what every Power User has already done-- written off Windows 8 --
China bans use of Microsoft's Windows 8 on government computers | Reuters: "...The Central Government Procurement Center issued the ban on installing Windows 8 on government computers as part of a notice on the use of energy-saving products, posted on its website last week. The official Xinhua news agency said the ban was to ensure computer security after Microsoft ended support for its Windows XP operating system, which was widely used in China...."
ProtonMail - Easy to Use Email So Secure NSA Cannot Break It; What About NSA Other Attacks?: "...A main motivation behind starting ProtonMail was the human rights component. Referencing a writer in China who blogged about the service, Yen said, "Say you're an activist in China fighting for democracy, this is a life or death service."..."
This is what happens when you pester your friends for their relationship status with Facebook’s new ‘Ask’ button: "This creepy addition is called “Ask,” and you’ll see it in your Facebook friends’ “About” tab next to every field they’ve left blank. If your friend hasn’t chosen a relationship status, for instance, you’ll now be able to ask that they share that information, either publicly or just with you. The same idea applies if they haven’t specified their college, hometown, current company and location."
Study released on US Federal Government IT problems (source: Politico ): HealthCare.gov is just one of many federal IT disasters and the Public Spend Forum has released a report and hosted a roundtable that explored why the government struggles to buy and manage its technology. The study covers many of the issues: failure of leadership, "checks the box" culture, and proscriptive requirements. The report says federal projects fail because no one can agree on the actual problem. Recommendations include establishing clear lines of authority, developing simple requests that draw in a broader array of vendors and encouraging risk-taking. The report is here: http://publicspendforum.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/billionsinthebalance.pdf
AT&T Says It Wants to Sell Web TV, Too | Re/code: "AT&T’s proposed $48.5 billion acquisition of DirecTV will accelerate its plans to offer an Internet television service. AT&T Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson said DirecTV holds established entertainment industry relationships that will help speed the company’s efforts to deliver video via mobile devices and high-speed Internet service. He told Wall Street investors that he anticipates offering an Internet TV service within 12 to 18 months of the deal closing...."
Modi's Role Model: Margaret Thatcher or Lee Kuan Yew? : The New Yorker: "....Relative to his predecessors, he is likely to emphasize manufacturing and infrastructure projects—two key aspects of the “Asian tiger” model—such as his proposal for a high-speed rail network. In addition, he will probably talk about expanding the ASEAN-India free-trade area and liberalizing India’s employment laws, which nearly all sides agree need some reform. In historical terms, though, that would all add up to more of the same medicine that India has been taking for twenty-odd years, rather than a radical break in a Thatcherite direction..."
Everything You Need To Know About Twitch.tv And Why Company Could Be A Steal For Google - Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) | Seeking Alpha: ".... The first reason why Twitch is a compelling acquisition target in the content space is because it avoids all costs associated with generating content... The other factor that YouTube has been trying to mimic lately is how players on Twitch have immense individual brand power. Twitch.tv is just as much about telling the narrative of the individuals as it is about watching them play video games. On Twitch can you watch a high school student go from playing 2-3 hours per day after he finishes his homework to competing on the Staples Center stage for a million bucks, and experience all the highs and lows along the way.... "
Yahoo Close to Acquiring Video-Streaming Startup - WSJ.com: "...soon bolster its Web-video technology with another acquisition. The Internet portal is close to finalizing an acquisition of video-streaming startup RayV Inc., according to people familiar with the matter..."
Bitcoin Exchanges Probed Over Shuttered Drug Market - WSJ.com: "U.S. authorities have opened a new front in their investigation into bitcoin exchanges and other businesses that deal in the online currency, examining possible ties between the firms and the online drug bazaar Silk Road, according to people familiar with the matter...."
more technology news below ( @ web version--link below)
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How the Web's Fast Lanes Would Work Without Net Neutrality - WSJ.com: "If U.S. regulators end up allowing telecom companies to set up fast lanes on the public Internet, companies that make the needed gear say the remaining service would inevitably get a little slower..."
Steve Wozniak to the FCC: Keep the Internet Free - Steve Wozniak - The Atlantic: "...Finally, the thought hit me that every time and in every way that the telecommunications careers have had power or control, we the people wind up getting screwed. Every audience that I speak this statement and phrase to bursts into applause. That's how the people think. They don't want this to encroach on their Internet freedom...."
Forget 'the Cloud,' Computing's Future Is in 'the Fog' - WSJ.com: "....Here's the reality: Getting data into and out of the cloud is harder than most engineers, or at least their managers, often are willing to admit. The problem is bandwidth....Overall, according to the World Economic Forum, the U.S. ranks 35th in the world in terms of bandwidth per user...."
Protecting Human Rights Online: Lessons from the Americas | Electronic Frontier Foundation: "... Here are the guiding principles for free expression and thought outlined by the report: Access: States should promote universal access, not only to infrastructure but also to technology necessary for its use, so as to make information on the Internet available to everyone. Pluralism: Maximizing the diversity of voices participating in the public debate is a goal in itself of the democratic process. In this sense, the report states that robust guarantees of the exercise of freedom of expression through the Internet are vital for opening up the public sphere. Non-discrimination: States must provide free access and user choice for sending and receiving any lawful content, application, or service through the Internet. Such content should not be subject to conditions, restrictions, and directives such as blocking, filtering, or interference. This is a necessary condition for exercising freedom of expression on the Internet. Privacy: Individual privacy should be carried out pursuant to reasonable and proportional standards that do not end up arbitrarily restricting the right to freedom of expression...."
China does what every Power User has already done-- written off Windows 8 --
China bans use of Microsoft's Windows 8 on government computers | Reuters: "...The Central Government Procurement Center issued the ban on installing Windows 8 on government computers as part of a notice on the use of energy-saving products, posted on its website last week. The official Xinhua news agency said the ban was to ensure computer security after Microsoft ended support for its Windows XP operating system, which was widely used in China...."
ProtonMail - Easy to Use Email So Secure NSA Cannot Break It; What About NSA Other Attacks?: "...A main motivation behind starting ProtonMail was the human rights component. Referencing a writer in China who blogged about the service, Yen said, "Say you're an activist in China fighting for democracy, this is a life or death service."..."
This is what happens when you pester your friends for their relationship status with Facebook’s new ‘Ask’ button: "This creepy addition is called “Ask,” and you’ll see it in your Facebook friends’ “About” tab next to every field they’ve left blank. If your friend hasn’t chosen a relationship status, for instance, you’ll now be able to ask that they share that information, either publicly or just with you. The same idea applies if they haven’t specified their college, hometown, current company and location."
Study released on US Federal Government IT problems (source: Politico ): HealthCare.gov is just one of many federal IT disasters and the Public Spend Forum has released a report and hosted a roundtable that explored why the government struggles to buy and manage its technology. The study covers many of the issues: failure of leadership, "checks the box" culture, and proscriptive requirements. The report says federal projects fail because no one can agree on the actual problem. Recommendations include establishing clear lines of authority, developing simple requests that draw in a broader array of vendors and encouraging risk-taking. The report is here: http://publicspendforum.org/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/billionsinthebalance.pdf
AT&T Says It Wants to Sell Web TV, Too | Re/code: "AT&T’s proposed $48.5 billion acquisition of DirecTV will accelerate its plans to offer an Internet television service. AT&T Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Randall Stephenson said DirecTV holds established entertainment industry relationships that will help speed the company’s efforts to deliver video via mobile devices and high-speed Internet service. He told Wall Street investors that he anticipates offering an Internet TV service within 12 to 18 months of the deal closing...."
Modi's Role Model: Margaret Thatcher or Lee Kuan Yew? : The New Yorker: "....Relative to his predecessors, he is likely to emphasize manufacturing and infrastructure projects—two key aspects of the “Asian tiger” model—such as his proposal for a high-speed rail network. In addition, he will probably talk about expanding the ASEAN-India free-trade area and liberalizing India’s employment laws, which nearly all sides agree need some reform. In historical terms, though, that would all add up to more of the same medicine that India has been taking for twenty-odd years, rather than a radical break in a Thatcherite direction..."
Everything You Need To Know About Twitch.tv And Why Company Could Be A Steal For Google - Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) | Seeking Alpha: ".... The first reason why Twitch is a compelling acquisition target in the content space is because it avoids all costs associated with generating content... The other factor that YouTube has been trying to mimic lately is how players on Twitch have immense individual brand power. Twitch.tv is just as much about telling the narrative of the individuals as it is about watching them play video games. On Twitch can you watch a high school student go from playing 2-3 hours per day after he finishes his homework to competing on the Staples Center stage for a million bucks, and experience all the highs and lows along the way.... "
Yahoo Close to Acquiring Video-Streaming Startup - WSJ.com: "...soon bolster its Web-video technology with another acquisition. The Internet portal is close to finalizing an acquisition of video-streaming startup RayV Inc., according to people familiar with the matter..."
Bitcoin Exchanges Probed Over Shuttered Drug Market - WSJ.com: "U.S. authorities have opened a new front in their investigation into bitcoin exchanges and other businesses that deal in the online currency, examining possible ties between the firms and the online drug bazaar Silk Road, according to people familiar with the matter...."
more technology news below ( @ web version--link below)
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08 March 2014
Frugal Innovation
Frugal Innovation: Low Tech, Simple Designs That Improve Lives Around the World from Jose Briones - Dr. Jose A. Briones is an innovator, market and business developer, futurist and idea generator. Jose has 20 years of commercial and technical experience in the manufacturing and technology industries, holding positions in the areas of marketing, innovation, sales, engineering and R&D with Fortune 300 companies, custom manufacturing operations and software companies. ... (http://schedule.sxsw.com/2014/events/event_IAP25328)
Japan Says Bitcoin Not a Currency - WSJ.com: "Government Also Says Commercial Banks Not Allowed to Provide Bitcoin as a Product"
Apple, Samsung Prepare To Spar Again
InformationWeek
Apple lost its bid to ban the sale of certain Samsung smartphones and tablets in the US, thanks to a new ruling. This means the first major court case between the two smartphone behemoths stateside is coming to a close (save for the appeals), just as ...
Google Expands Support For Tech Partners
InformationWeek
In parallel, Google launched App Engine in 2008 and the cloud-based application hosting service has since evolved into the Google Cloud Platform, which competes for corporate computing business with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, among ...
Microsoft Hopes Titanfall's Robots Can Save the Xbox One
Businessweek
Microsoft's efforts to sell the Xbox One as more of a general entertainment device akin to Roku's streaming players or Apple TV (AAPL) has left hard-core gamers skeptical of the company's long-term commitment to their pastime, says Gartner (IT) analyst ...
Google's mysterious tech barge greeted by Stockton residents weary of hard times
San Jose Mercury News
STOCKTON -- This San Joaquin Delta city has known hard times in recent years, with soaring home foreclosures, high unemployment, terrifying gang violence and a municipal bankruptcy. So when Google's mysterious tech barge arrived in port on Thursday, ...
Microsoft plans to patch critical under-attack IE bug next week
Computerworld
Computerworld - Microsoft today announced it will deliver five security updates to customers next week, two tagged as "critical," including one that will quash the open vulnerability in Internet Explorer (IE) that hackers have been exploiting since ...
Is Google Too Big to Sue Over Gmail Privacy Concerns?
Businessweek
Then Google discovered Content One could not extract information from unopened or deleted e-mails, or from e-mails accessed by phones or through Microsoft (MSFT) Outlook, Rommel said. So the company allegedly reconfigured the process in 2010 to ...
Microsoft's new tack for cheap tablets: Windows 8.1 with Bing
ZDNet
Microsoft already has thrown a lot of software and services in for free with Windows 8, so it needs to find ways to make money in a world where the pressure to drop OS licensing fees is increasing. Windows leaker WZor revealed last month that there was ...
Google's Schmidt Sees Robots Becoming Omnipresent (2)
Businessweek
When asked about the state of innovation at Apple Inc. (AAPL:US) and the lack of new products, Schmidt said Google's rival is a “well-run company and I'm sure whatever issues they're facing, they'll solve.” Google is optimistic about its prospects even ...
more technology news below ( @ web version--link below)
Follow @expricom
Japan Says Bitcoin Not a Currency - WSJ.com: "Government Also Says Commercial Banks Not Allowed to Provide Bitcoin as a Product"
Apple, Samsung Prepare To Spar Again
InformationWeek
Apple lost its bid to ban the sale of certain Samsung smartphones and tablets in the US, thanks to a new ruling. This means the first major court case between the two smartphone behemoths stateside is coming to a close (save for the appeals), just as ...
Google Expands Support For Tech Partners
InformationWeek
In parallel, Google launched App Engine in 2008 and the cloud-based application hosting service has since evolved into the Google Cloud Platform, which competes for corporate computing business with Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, among ...
Microsoft Hopes Titanfall's Robots Can Save the Xbox One
Businessweek
Microsoft's efforts to sell the Xbox One as more of a general entertainment device akin to Roku's streaming players or Apple TV (AAPL) has left hard-core gamers skeptical of the company's long-term commitment to their pastime, says Gartner (IT) analyst ...
Google's mysterious tech barge greeted by Stockton residents weary of hard times
San Jose Mercury News
STOCKTON -- This San Joaquin Delta city has known hard times in recent years, with soaring home foreclosures, high unemployment, terrifying gang violence and a municipal bankruptcy. So when Google's mysterious tech barge arrived in port on Thursday, ...
Microsoft plans to patch critical under-attack IE bug next week
Computerworld
Computerworld - Microsoft today announced it will deliver five security updates to customers next week, two tagged as "critical," including one that will quash the open vulnerability in Internet Explorer (IE) that hackers have been exploiting since ...
Is Google Too Big to Sue Over Gmail Privacy Concerns?
Businessweek
Then Google discovered Content One could not extract information from unopened or deleted e-mails, or from e-mails accessed by phones or through Microsoft (MSFT) Outlook, Rommel said. So the company allegedly reconfigured the process in 2010 to ...
Microsoft's new tack for cheap tablets: Windows 8.1 with Bing
ZDNet
Microsoft already has thrown a lot of software and services in for free with Windows 8, so it needs to find ways to make money in a world where the pressure to drop OS licensing fees is increasing. Windows leaker WZor revealed last month that there was ...
Google's Schmidt Sees Robots Becoming Omnipresent (2)
Businessweek
When asked about the state of innovation at Apple Inc. (AAPL:US) and the lack of new products, Schmidt said Google's rival is a “well-run company and I'm sure whatever issues they're facing, they'll solve.” Google is optimistic about its prospects even ...
more technology news below ( @ web version--link below)
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09 February 2014
NBC fabricated misleading Russian Hack Story
Pathetic American media is the phrase Seymour Hersh used to describe today's mainstream media in the US -- prime example is the fabricated, misleading report on NBC about a Russian hack - pathetic!
How NBC's Russian Hack Actually Happened, According to the Security Expert Who Set It Up | Motherboard: " . . . The consultant, Kyle Wilhoit, a senior threat researcher at Trend Micro, set the record straight today in a blog post on the Trend Micro site and an accompanying white paper. He explained that Engel's report, while not completely inaccurate, was edited in a misleading way and the implications were overblown...." (read full article at link above)
Two Charged In BitCoin Money Laundering Scheme « CBS Miami: "According to police, undercover officers and special agents from the Miami Electronic Crimes Task Force (MECTF) posed as Bitcoins buyers and contacted various individuals which had a high volume of BitCoin activity.The agents let them knowt hat they needed to move money to facilitate their criminal activities. Reid and Espinoza allegedly offered to assist the agents in their transactions, for a fee. According to police it’s the classic definition of money laundering. “All of us in law enforcement know that criminals are always seeking new ways to make their activities profitable,” commented State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “BitCoins are just a new tool in the cyber criminal’s toolkit.”"
Google to own $750 million Lenovo stake after Motorola deal closes: HK exchange | Reuters: "Internet search company Google Inc will own a 5.94 percent stake in China's Lenovo Group Ltd worth $750 million once Lenovo's deal to buy Google's Motorola handset division closes, according to a disclosure on the Hong Kong stock exchange."
October 2015: The End of the Swipe-and-Sign Credit Card - Corporate Intelligence - WSJ: "Beginning later next year, you will stop signing those credit card receipts. Instead, you will insert your card into a slot and enter a PIN number, just like people do in much of the rest of the world. The U.S. is the last major market to still use the old-fashioned signature system, and it’s a big reason why almost half the world’s credit card fraud happens in America, despite the country being home to about a quarter of all credit card transactions."
Google Briefly Tops Exxon as 2nd-Most Valuable U.S. Firm
Bloomberg
Apple had a market value of $463.5 billion. Software company Microsoft Corp. is No. 4 with $303.5 billion. Technology companies are establishing themselves as key players worldwide as they disrupt industries from retail to finance. Google, which went ...
Apple's Tim Cook on Plans for Cash and Emerging Markets
Wall Street Journal (blog)
Google gets rid of something that's losing money, something that they're not committed to. I think it's really hard to do hardware, software and services and to link all those things together. That's what makes Apple so special. It's really hard, so I ...
Google goes after enterprise with Chromebox for meetings
Computerworld
Computerworld - Google is looking to open the door wider to the enterprise, launching a videoconferencing tool designed to make it easier and cheaper to have face-to-face meetings with far-flung co-workers. The new meeting tool also could help push ...
Google makes statement about Russian anti-gay law
USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- With the Winter Games underway in Sochi, Google quietly but vibrantly added its voice Thursday to the chorus of U.S. companies speaking out against Russia's law restricting gay-rights activities by updating its iconic search page ...
Google Posts French Privacy Warning, Follows Very Specific Instructions
Wall Street Journal (blog)
Et voila. On Saturday morning, Google bowed to French authorities and posted a notice on google.fr informing users that it has been fined €150,000 ($204,525) for violations of France's privacy laws. Google lawyers had tried to block the notice in an ...
Amazon Flow makes searching for items a breeze with an iPhone
Los Angeles Times
The feature is called Flow, and it's designed to be a quicker way to search for products than by typing their name or scanning their bar code, as were already possible through the Amazon app. The Seattle online retailer is marketing the feature as a ...
Judge rebukes Apple for invoking nationalist bias but denies Samsung a retrial
PCWorld
“When I was young, I used to watch television on televisions that were manufactured in the United States,” an Apple attorney told the jury. “Magnavox, Motorola, RCA. ... They were inventors. They were like the Apple and Google today. “But they didn't ...
more technology news below
Follow @expricom
How NBC's Russian Hack Actually Happened, According to the Security Expert Who Set It Up | Motherboard: " . . . The consultant, Kyle Wilhoit, a senior threat researcher at Trend Micro, set the record straight today in a blog post on the Trend Micro site and an accompanying white paper. He explained that Engel's report, while not completely inaccurate, was edited in a misleading way and the implications were overblown...." (read full article at link above)
Two Charged In BitCoin Money Laundering Scheme « CBS Miami: "According to police, undercover officers and special agents from the Miami Electronic Crimes Task Force (MECTF) posed as Bitcoins buyers and contacted various individuals which had a high volume of BitCoin activity.The agents let them knowt hat they needed to move money to facilitate their criminal activities. Reid and Espinoza allegedly offered to assist the agents in their transactions, for a fee. According to police it’s the classic definition of money laundering. “All of us in law enforcement know that criminals are always seeking new ways to make their activities profitable,” commented State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle. “BitCoins are just a new tool in the cyber criminal’s toolkit.”"
Google to own $750 million Lenovo stake after Motorola deal closes: HK exchange | Reuters: "Internet search company Google Inc will own a 5.94 percent stake in China's Lenovo Group Ltd worth $750 million once Lenovo's deal to buy Google's Motorola handset division closes, according to a disclosure on the Hong Kong stock exchange."
October 2015: The End of the Swipe-and-Sign Credit Card - Corporate Intelligence - WSJ: "Beginning later next year, you will stop signing those credit card receipts. Instead, you will insert your card into a slot and enter a PIN number, just like people do in much of the rest of the world. The U.S. is the last major market to still use the old-fashioned signature system, and it’s a big reason why almost half the world’s credit card fraud happens in America, despite the country being home to about a quarter of all credit card transactions."
Google Briefly Tops Exxon as 2nd-Most Valuable U.S. Firm
Bloomberg
Apple had a market value of $463.5 billion. Software company Microsoft Corp. is No. 4 with $303.5 billion. Technology companies are establishing themselves as key players worldwide as they disrupt industries from retail to finance. Google, which went ...
Apple's Tim Cook on Plans for Cash and Emerging Markets
Wall Street Journal (blog)
Google gets rid of something that's losing money, something that they're not committed to. I think it's really hard to do hardware, software and services and to link all those things together. That's what makes Apple so special. It's really hard, so I ...
Google goes after enterprise with Chromebox for meetings
Computerworld
Computerworld - Google is looking to open the door wider to the enterprise, launching a videoconferencing tool designed to make it easier and cheaper to have face-to-face meetings with far-flung co-workers. The new meeting tool also could help push ...
Google makes statement about Russian anti-gay law
USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- With the Winter Games underway in Sochi, Google quietly but vibrantly added its voice Thursday to the chorus of U.S. companies speaking out against Russia's law restricting gay-rights activities by updating its iconic search page ...
Google Posts French Privacy Warning, Follows Very Specific Instructions
Wall Street Journal (blog)
Et voila. On Saturday morning, Google bowed to French authorities and posted a notice on google.fr informing users that it has been fined €150,000 ($204,525) for violations of France's privacy laws. Google lawyers had tried to block the notice in an ...
Amazon Flow makes searching for items a breeze with an iPhone
Los Angeles Times
The feature is called Flow, and it's designed to be a quicker way to search for products than by typing their name or scanning their bar code, as were already possible through the Amazon app. The Seattle online retailer is marketing the feature as a ...
Judge rebukes Apple for invoking nationalist bias but denies Samsung a retrial
PCWorld
“When I was young, I used to watch television on televisions that were manufactured in the United States,” an Apple attorney told the jury. “Magnavox, Motorola, RCA. ... They were inventors. They were like the Apple and Google today. “But they didn't ...
more technology news below
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23 January 2014
Korean Mobile Carriers To Offer Free Chromebooks?
Korea may start a worldwide carrier trend --
Chromebooks: Mobile Carriers May Offer Free Chromebooks with LTE Subscriptions This Year | BusinessKorea: "Chromebooks, which run the Google Chrome OS, will include LTE connectivity starting this year. Thus, a power shift in the global PC market is likely to occur. According to Reuters on January 15, major manufactures of Chromebooks, including HP, will release 4G LTE-capable versions this year... Chromebooks are in the price range of US$250-US$299. These laptops are so affordable that they might soon be provided free of charge as part of an LTE subscription, depending on mobile carriers and agreements here in Korea...."
T-Mobile moves into personal finance --
How it Works | Reloadable Debit Card | T-Mobile Visa Prepaid Card: "Step 1 Purchase a T-Mobile Visa Prepaid Card in-store or online. Step 2 Add Money to your Card Account. If you purchase a T-Mobile Visa Prepaid Card in-store, you can simply add money at the time of purchase. If you enroll for a card online, you will add money once you receive the card. Step 3 Activate your T-Mobile Visa Prepaid Card online or by calling ..."
T-Mobile's 'Mobile Money' blends prepaid Visa cards and no-fee checking features: "T-Mobile's latest service seems to fit its 'UnCarrier' agenda perfectly, since it has little connection to wireless and doesn't actually require users to have the company's phone service. Called Mobile Money, the personal finance product combines a smartphone app (iOS or Android) with a branded prepaid Visa card. Without paying a single fee, T-Mobile wireless customers can deposit checks into their Mobile Money account by taking a picture of them with their smartphone, withdraw money from 42,000 in-network ATMs and reload the cards with cash at T-Mobile stores (non-T-Mobile customers would pay additional fees). There are also no maintenance fees, minimum balances or activation fees."
Facebook decline and abandonment imminent --
[1401.4208] Epidemiological modeling of online social network dynamics: "The irSIR model is then applied to search query data for "Facebook," which is just beginning to show the onset of an abandonment phase. Extrapolating the best fit model into the future predicts a rapid decline in Facebook activity in the next few years...."
Medium: "Andreessen attempts to draw a parallel between the birth of the personal-computing era and the explosion of the publicly accessible Internet and Bitcoin. These are fundamentally flawed analogies."
BlackBerry on "life-support" gets "transfusion" from US Dept of Defense -- Pentagon likes old legacy phones, particularly since BlackBerry gave the "keys" to China and Russia -- BlackBerry lands 80,000 Pentagon order and stock soars (CNET)
Amazon says it is not planning pay-TV service: "Amazon.com denied reports that it is planning a new pay-TV service. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Tuesday that the world's largest Internet retailer was considering a new service that would offer live TV channels..."
[Update] Microsoft And Machinima Respond To Concerns Over Advertising - News - www.GameInformer.com: ""We have asked Machinima to not post any additional Xbox One content as part of this media buy and we have asked them to add disclaimers to the videos that were part of this program indicating they were part of paid advertising.” The move on Microsoft's part to require disclaimers is a step in the right direction. If this practice continues, other advertisers and sponsors would be wise to do the same. "
Hackathon for Cuba kicks off in Miami Jan. 31 - Business - MiamiHerald.com: "Problems with connectivity, censorship, costly service and the lowest cellphone and Internet penetration rates in the Western Hemisphere regularly limit information access in Cuba. For the first time in South Florida, a hackathon will bring together programmers to devise solutions. On Jan. 31, Hackathon for Cuba will gather a mix of developers, as well as tech experts familiar with Cuba’s information barriers, to create smartphone applications and other technologies aimed at strengthening communications and information access in Cuba. Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez is also expected to participate, organizers said. The event is organized by the Miami Beach-based nonprofit Roots of Hope and backed by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation ....The Hackathon for Cuba, free and open to the public at The LAB Miami in Wynwood, will kick off at 7 p.m. on Jan. 31 with a reception and presentation on the current state of technology and digital access in Cuba. The programming begins at 9 a.m. on Feb. 1, and the event ends with judging and prizes that evening. To register: www.rootsofhope.org/hack."
more technology news below
Follow @expricom
Chromebooks: Mobile Carriers May Offer Free Chromebooks with LTE Subscriptions This Year | BusinessKorea: "Chromebooks, which run the Google Chrome OS, will include LTE connectivity starting this year. Thus, a power shift in the global PC market is likely to occur. According to Reuters on January 15, major manufactures of Chromebooks, including HP, will release 4G LTE-capable versions this year... Chromebooks are in the price range of US$250-US$299. These laptops are so affordable that they might soon be provided free of charge as part of an LTE subscription, depending on mobile carriers and agreements here in Korea...."
T-Mobile moves into personal finance --
How it Works | Reloadable Debit Card | T-Mobile Visa Prepaid Card: "Step 1 Purchase a T-Mobile Visa Prepaid Card in-store or online. Step 2 Add Money to your Card Account. If you purchase a T-Mobile Visa Prepaid Card in-store, you can simply add money at the time of purchase. If you enroll for a card online, you will add money once you receive the card. Step 3 Activate your T-Mobile Visa Prepaid Card online or by calling ..."
T-Mobile's 'Mobile Money' blends prepaid Visa cards and no-fee checking features: "T-Mobile's latest service seems to fit its 'UnCarrier' agenda perfectly, since it has little connection to wireless and doesn't actually require users to have the company's phone service. Called Mobile Money, the personal finance product combines a smartphone app (iOS or Android) with a branded prepaid Visa card. Without paying a single fee, T-Mobile wireless customers can deposit checks into their Mobile Money account by taking a picture of them with their smartphone, withdraw money from 42,000 in-network ATMs and reload the cards with cash at T-Mobile stores (non-T-Mobile customers would pay additional fees). There are also no maintenance fees, minimum balances or activation fees."
Facebook decline and abandonment imminent --
[1401.4208] Epidemiological modeling of online social network dynamics: "The irSIR model is then applied to search query data for "Facebook," which is just beginning to show the onset of an abandonment phase. Extrapolating the best fit model into the future predicts a rapid decline in Facebook activity in the next few years...."
Medium: "Andreessen attempts to draw a parallel between the birth of the personal-computing era and the explosion of the publicly accessible Internet and Bitcoin. These are fundamentally flawed analogies."
BlackBerry on "life-support" gets "transfusion" from US Dept of Defense -- Pentagon likes old legacy phones, particularly since BlackBerry gave the "keys" to China and Russia -- BlackBerry lands 80,000 Pentagon order and stock soars (CNET)
Amazon says it is not planning pay-TV service: "Amazon.com denied reports that it is planning a new pay-TV service. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier on Tuesday that the world's largest Internet retailer was considering a new service that would offer live TV channels..."
[Update] Microsoft And Machinima Respond To Concerns Over Advertising - News - www.GameInformer.com: ""We have asked Machinima to not post any additional Xbox One content as part of this media buy and we have asked them to add disclaimers to the videos that were part of this program indicating they were part of paid advertising.” The move on Microsoft's part to require disclaimers is a step in the right direction. If this practice continues, other advertisers and sponsors would be wise to do the same. "
Hackathon for Cuba kicks off in Miami Jan. 31 - Business - MiamiHerald.com: "Problems with connectivity, censorship, costly service and the lowest cellphone and Internet penetration rates in the Western Hemisphere regularly limit information access in Cuba. For the first time in South Florida, a hackathon will bring together programmers to devise solutions. On Jan. 31, Hackathon for Cuba will gather a mix of developers, as well as tech experts familiar with Cuba’s information barriers, to create smartphone applications and other technologies aimed at strengthening communications and information access in Cuba. Cuban blogger Yoani Sanchez is also expected to participate, organizers said. The event is organized by the Miami Beach-based nonprofit Roots of Hope and backed by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation ....The Hackathon for Cuba, free and open to the public at The LAB Miami in Wynwood, will kick off at 7 p.m. on Jan. 31 with a reception and presentation on the current state of technology and digital access in Cuba. The programming begins at 9 a.m. on Feb. 1, and the event ends with judging and prizes that evening. To register: www.rootsofhope.org/hack."
more technology news below
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