Did the US Kick North Korea Off The Internet? (video)

Bloomberg’s Jordan Roberston discusses North Korea’s loss of access to internet networks.

Something is really not well at Google. How is it possible to trip up the amazing position Google had in the smartphone world one year ago into the abyss where it's not even capable of selling a single phone directly to the consumer today? If you want to know why Google's stock is down in 2014, vastly underperforming Apple and other companies, look no further than this fiasco. Source:
Smartphones: Apple Knows What It's Doing, Google Doesn't - Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOGL) | Seeking Alpha: "Summary:  Every single smartphone on Google’s direct-to-consumer eCommerce site is listed as sold out, and in most cases have been for months. Other models (Google Play Edition) from Samsung and Sony have been discontinued altogether. How is it possible for the world’s smartphone market share leader to simply abdicate? This explains Google’s recent market share loss to Apple, and its resulting underperforming stock in 2014. Who is responsible for this fiasco at Google? New management is urgently needed...." (read more at the link above)

China is Planning to Purge Foreign Technology and Replace With Homegrown Suppliers - Bloomberg: "“A key government motivation is to bring China up from low-end manufacturing to the high end,” said Kitty Fok, China managing director for IDC. National security provides China a powerful rallying cry, particularly within its sprawling state sector. China National Petroleum Corp., the country’s largest energy producer, announced Nov. 26 -- during China’s first Cybersecurity Week -- that it had replaced its Microsoft e-mail with the homegrown eYou program to improve security. “The technology gap is closing,” said Mota, who advises Cisco and HP, as well as Huawei and ZTE. “In China, they have the patience to figure it out.”"

Android E-Commerce And Market Numbers - Business Insider: "Android is exploding as a mobile commerce driver. Android's share of mobile commerce orders is up 26% year-over-year. Android devices now account for just over one-fifth of all mobile e-commerce orders in the US.  The fragmentation problem is extremely overblown, from all perspectives: screen size, operating system version, and device proliferation. Globally, 80% of Android devices are running the two latest available versions of the platform. In the U.S, it's over 90%. Android Lollipop will roll out beginning this month."

more technology news below ( @ web version--link below)

Follow @expricom

Twitter Sues US Over NSA Disclosures (video)

Twitter Sues U.S. Over NSA Disclosures: Video - Bloomberg:
(Allow video to load after clicking play or go to link above)
Bloomberg's Emily Chang reports on Twitter Suing US Over NSA Disclosures, Facebook's location-based ads, and Blockchain's funding (Source: Bloomberg 10/7)

Facebook's WhatsApp acquisition now has price tag of $22 billion | Reuters: "Facebook closed its acquisition of mobile messaging service WhatsApp on Monday, with the final price tag rising an additional $3 billion to roughly $22 billion because of the increased value of Facebook's stock in recent months."

Other Tech NEWS:

New York Times
Amazon's Tax Deal in Luxembourg Is Latest Target of EU Inquiries
New York Times
Apple's tax dealings with Ireland have generated considerable attention, ... The Amazoninquiry is also the latest sign of the heightened scrutiny big American technologycompanies are receiving in Europe, where lawmakers have ...
EU Opens Probe Into Amazon's Tax Affairs in Luxembourg - Wall Street Journal
Following Apple And Starbucks, Amazon Now Faces European Commission Tax Probe - Forbes


USA TODAY
What Happened To The Relationship Between Apple And GT Advanced Technologies?
Forbes
Why did Apple sapphire glass supplier, GT Advanced Technologies, ... Thus Apple may acquire the technology and the very specialized hardware at ...


TechCrunch (blog)
Facebook Opens Its Mobile Ad “Audience Network” To All Advertisers And Apps
TechCrunch (blog)
After announcing its mobile ad network at f8 in April, Facebook today ... Facebook into more direct competition with Google's AdMob, Yahoo's Flurry, ...
Facebook's Audience Network: Open for Business - Facebook Developers


Wall Street Journal
Apple Takes a Bite From Samsung
Wall Street Journal
Samsung's third-quarter operating profit likely fell as much as 62% from a year earlier. How much is this due to Apple? Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster ...


TechCrunch (blog)
Yahoo Lays Off 400 Employees In India
TechCrunch (blog)
Just ahead of its Q3 earnings, Yahoo is laying people off in its international business. Specifically, it is downsizing its software development center in ...


CBS News
DEA created a fake Facebook profile in this woman's name using seized pics — then impersonated ...
Washington Post
At first glance, the Facebook profile is the perfect deception. ... as to how far law enforcement can go when using new technology to investigate cases.
US Agent Sued Over Fake Facebook Page in Drug Case - KRON.com


CNN
A Look At Apple Pay And Its Valuation Impact On Apple
Forbes
Apple is slated to roll out Apple Pay, its mobile payments service, in the United States this month. The service will allow customers to make payments ...


San Jose Mercury News
What Snapchat Wants From Yahoo!
Businessweek
... has already famously rejected advances from Facebook (FB) and Google. ... Under the stewardship of CEO Marissa Meyer, Yahoo has been investing ... Along the way, Yahoohas hired a bunch of high-profile journalists, ... a series of digital magazines on topics such as food, technology, and travel.


Marketing Pilgrim
Facebook's location-based ads can pitch you on the store you just walked by
PCWorld
If you're like me, you might stroll past a local coffee shop or book store numerous times before you notice it's there or go inside. Facebook thinks an ad might give that extra nudge. On Tuesday, the company began rolling out a new feature for local advertising ...


TechCrunch
Belkin says router outages should be resolved
PCWorld
Belkin said Tuesday afternoon it had fixed an issue that caused some of its Wi-Fi routers to disconnect from the Internet. Some of the older routers experienced problems around midnight on Tuesday when pinging a Belkin-hosted service to check for general ...


New York Times
IBM Opens Watson Headquarters in NYC Amid New Cognitive Milestones
eWeek
As IBM moves its Watson cognitive computing technology into its new home in New York City's Silicon Alley, the company announced significant milestones fueling adoption of Watson and cognitive computing cloud capabilities on a global scale.


Financial Express
ITC to Probe Nvidia Patent Claims Against Samsung
PC Magazine
The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) will look into a complaint made by Nvidia concerning certain Samsung products which Nvidia claims infringe on its graphics processing patents. Nvidia said this week that it welcomed the opening of an ...


Mashable
Toyota Wins, Apple Loses in Major Study of Distracted Driving
Mashable
Few voice-activated, handsfree driving systems are looking good Tuesday after AAA released a major study that accuses them all of increasing our levels of distraction behind the wheel. The least distracting in-car system, it turns out, is Toyota's Entune.


Entertainment Weekly
Inside 'Interstellar' with Oculus Rift
myfoxny.com
Oculus Rift, a headset that creates an interactive 3D environment everywhere you look. These gadgets could change the way we play video games or watch television and movies. In anticipation of "Interstellar" starring Matthew McConaghey, Paramount is ...


Computerworld
Eight things you need to know about Windows 10
Economic Times
Microsoft has announced the next iteration of their Windows OS, dubbed Windows 10. Although availability is still about a year away, the technical preview of the OS is available to try the new features. ET takes a look at some of the biggest changes you can ...

more technology news below ( @ web version--link below)

Follow @expricom

Apple, Microsoft, Facebook, Google, Pawns of the Villain? #China --

"U.S. companies including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, etc. are all coordinating with the PRISM program to monitor China... To resist the naked Internet hegemony, we will draw up international regulations, and strengthen technology safeguards, but we will also severely punish the pawns of the villain." - China's People's Daily

China's state media wants Apple and Google to be 'severely punished' for NSA spying: "... a sudden spike in anti-American sentiment in Chinese state-owned media, with Apple, Google, Microsoft and Facebook all being described as "pawns" of the US government (aka the "high-level hooligan"). Articles in the China Daily and People's Daily call for these companies to be "severely punished" for their alleged roles in the PRISM scandal, but there's no obvious trigger to explain the timing of their publication. One possible factor is today's date: June 4th marks the bloody end of the Tiananmen Square protest of 1989, when government forces killed hundreds of pro-democracy activists in the streets of Beijing. Google and other sources of international news are being subjected to extra censorship in order to control discussion of the Tiananmen anniversary within China, which implies that these outlets are currently even more irksome to the Communist Party than they usually are...."

Apple's U.S. iPhone Market Share Holding Steady
Forbes
Google's and Apple's gain have come at the expense of Blackberry while Microsoft Microsoft has increased its share slightly from 3.0% to 3.3% in the ...

Google goads users to use encryption
USA TODAY
According to Google's statistics, AOL, Yahoo, Facebook, Twitter and ... Microsoft'sOutlook.com e-mail system was encrypted about 50% of the time.

Apple Dumps Google Search For Microsoft's Bing
InformationWeek
Apple has dealt Google another blow by announcing a new default Web ... Last year, the company struck a deal with Microsoft to name Bing as the ... its list of default search engines, which also include Google, Yahoo, and Bing. ... Best Practices for Security and Compliance with Amazon Web Services.

Apple Partners With Epic, Mayo Clinic For HealthKit
InformationWeek
Apple made a long-awaited entry into mobile health technology this week, previewing an iOS 8 app called Health, along with a HealthKit cloud API for ...

Microsoft Touts Device Partners At Computex
InformationWeek
Microsoft hyped its partners' new Windows 8.1 tablets and PCs. ... Last month, Microsoftadvanced its internal device strategy with the Surface Pro 3. ... Android became dominant partly by playing in budget markets that Apple, ... devices to Computex, but also a variety that run Google operating systems.

Apple Makes Nice With Digital Currencies, But Some Bitcoiners Aren't Buying It
Wired
Apple tossed a bone to the world's bitcoin services this week. But not all of them are reaching for it. At its Worldwide Developer Conference on Monday ...

Amazon Opens On-Ramp For VMware Workloads
InformationWeek
Amazon Web Services makes a bid for VMware-based workloads by giving vCenter virtual machine admins a direct link to its EC2 cloud. 6 Models Of ...

An Android Wear Design Story | Android Developers Blog
By Android Developers
A few weeks ago, Timothy and I were chatting about designing apps for wearables to validate some of the content we're planning for Google I/O 20141 ...
Android Developers Blog

Microsoft Is Bringing Office to Google's Android - Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) - 24/7 Wall St.
By 247sarah
Microsoft plans to release a version of its Office software suite -- optimized for touch screens ... Office for Google's Android would be another example of CEO Satya Nadella ...
24/7 Wall St.

Bitcoin Jumps As Apple Folds On Blocking Virtual Currencies | Zero Hedge
By Tyler Durden
Many people are closely scrutinizing Apple's policy changes at its ... My liberal friends are all addicted to their smart phones, facebook and texting.
zerohedge.com

Nova Launcher Update Adds “OK, Google” Hotword Detection, Other Beta Features | Droid Life
By Kellex
Nova Launcher 3.0 “stable” is rolling out to all on Google Play, this afternoon, bringing with it the list of new beta features that were introduced a week ...
Droid Life

Yahoo Sports Fantasy Hockey
yahoo.com
Yahoo Fantasy Hockey. Create or join a NHL league and manage your team with FREE live scoring, stats, scouting reports, news, and expert advice.
https://www.yahoo.com/fantasyhockey/

Google Online Security Blog: Making end-to-end encryption easier to use
Your security online has always been a top priority for us, and we're constantly working to make sure your data is safe. For example, Gmail supported ...
googleonlinesecurity.blogspot.com/.../making-end-to-end-enc...

With New Overnight Delivery, Google Confirms It Wants to Be Amazon | Business | WIRED
wired.com
Apple Debuts OS X Yosemite, iOS 8, and Tons of New Developer Tools .... Share onFacebook ... When Google started offering same-day delivery to the public last September, it felt more like a curiosity: With all ... Amazon has perfected the art of shipping orders quickly from massive, centralized facilities.
www.wired.com/.../google-overnight-delivery-ends-any-doubt...

Why iOS 8 matters
USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO — Flash back a year to Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference and the introduction of iOS 7. Apple shook things up with what was a radically reimagined look for its mobile operating system. Gone was the "skeuomorphic" design long ...

more technology news below ( @ web version--link below)

Follow @expricom

Internet freedom in US declines, thanks to the NSA

U.S. ranks fourth in Internet freedom as surveillance grows worldwide - Network World: "Network World - Internet freedom has declined in the United States over the past year as a result of its surveillance policies, reflecting a trend that appears to have caught on worldwide, according to a recently released study. The study [PDF], conducted by Freedom House, gauged Internet freedom in 60 countries by tracking obstacles to access information online, limits on content, and violations of user rights. Among the issues cited in the report are government agencies’ outright blocking of specific Internet content, surveillance measures, and legal and violent repercussions taken against those who use the Internet to criticize governing or religious bodies. Iceland was the top-ranking nation on the list, which may not come as a surprise considering its recent role as a safe-haven for controversial Internet whistleblowers. . . ."

But as they say, what goes around, comes around --

NSA Investigators Stumped by What's Causing Power Surges That Destroy Equipment
Meltdowns Hobble NSA Data Center - WSJ.com: "Chronic electrical surges at the massive new data-storage facility central to the National Security Agency's spying operation have destroyed hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of machinery and delayed the center's opening for a year, according to project documents and current and former officials. There have been 10 meltdowns in the past 13 months that have prevented the NSA from using computers at its new Utah data-storage center, slated to be the spy agency's largest, according to project documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. One project official described the electrical troubles—so-called arc fault failures—as "a flash of lightning inside a 2-foot box." These failures create fiery explosions, melt metal and cause circuits to fail, the official said."

RCS & RDS will introduce the fastest wired Internet connections: "The largest Internet provider in Romania, RCS & RDS will soon introduce the fastest data connection on the market. they will be available in November for residential customers in over 150 locations. speeds below have was possible due to the expansion of fiber networks. Future subscription Digi Net Fiberlink 500 allows a download speed of up to 500 Mbps and will have a monthly cost of £ 49 . Subscription Digi Net Fiberlink 1000 will provide a download speed of up to 1000 Mbps and will cost 59 lei , VAT is included."

Microsoft updates YouTube app for Windows Phone, apparently surrenders to Google as web player returns | Windows Phone Central: "Microsoft updates YouTube app for Windows Phone, apparently surrenders to Google as web player returns"

Samsung Plays Catch-Up on Software
Wall Street Journal
Samsung Electronics Co. is stepping up its hunt for acquisitions and building out its presence in Silicon Valley to try and overcome its key weakness: software. The South Korea-based company became the world's largest maker of smartphones by ...

Google, HP's Chromebook 11 on sale for $279
PCWorld
The new Chromebook 11 developed by Google and Hewlett-Packard has gone on sale for $279, and can be powered by the same charger used for Android tablets and smartphones. The laptop runs on Chrome OS, and is designed for people who do most of ...

LG starts production on bendy, strokey curved displays
Register
LG's display unit has confirmed it is beginning mass-production of a flexible, "unbreakable" screen for its new smartphones. The screen is capable of curving rather more than one might want on a handset but, more importantly, it's made of plastic.

Obama Administration Upholds Ban on Some Samsung Devices -- Update
Wall Street Journal
The Obama administration on Tuesday upheld a U.S. ban on the import and sale of some Samsung Electronics Co. (devices, backing Apple Inc. in a trade and patent battle with its South Korean rival. U.S. Trade Representative Michael Froman chose not to ...

Yahoo Mail celebrates Sweet 16 birthday with bevy of new features
TechSpot
Yahoo Mail is celebrating its Sweet 16 birthday and you're invited. To honor the occasion, Yahoo is offering users a wealth of new Mail features across the desktop, Android and iOS – many of which were previously only available in the $19.99-per-year Mail ...

Google survey: 40% of India's urban voters undecided, Narendra ...

NDTV
New Delhi: Over 40 per cent urban Indian voters are undecided on the political party of their choice, a survey by Google India has revealed, months ahead of ...

India Today

Apple may sell 5 million to 10 million iWatches in first year: analyst

USA TODAY
SAN FRANCISCO -- Apple could sell up to 10 million iWatches in the first year it launches the product, adding more than $2.5 billion to the company's top line ...

ValueWalk

Google's Schmidt: Android more secure than iPhone

ZDNet
ORLANDO — Delivered with a spice of arrogance, Google's executive chairman ... on Monday declared the Android platform more secure than Apple's iPhone....

Apple Insider

Microsoft pays out $28K to IE bug hunters in its first-ever bounty ...

Computerworld
Fratric is also well known: In 2012, before he joined Google, he won second place ... Gregg Keizer covers Microsoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and ...

Help Net Security

Google's Enterprise Cloud Problem

InformationWeek
But a cloud stigma still sticks to Google in the enterprise. ... They consistently compare the company with Microsoft. ... But naysayers should remember this: Apple rode into the enterprise on the strength of consumer affinity ... Amazon.com To Hire 70,000 In Fourth Quarter · IBM Debuts Educational Network For Pediatricians, ...

Business Insider Australia

Google in talks with DTH cable providers to bring YouTube to TV ...

Economic Times
Google in talks with DTH cable providers to bring YouTube to TV screens ...MUMBAI: Google is making a big push to boost YouTube usage in India and is in ...

Economic Times

Microsoft offers Equinix customers private Azure access

PCWorld
Microsoft will soon allow customers of Internet business exchange (IBX) ...Equinix also struck a similar agreement for Amazon Web Services (AWS) in May, ...

New York Times

Amazon Wins Ruling for $600 Million CIA Cloud Contract

Bloomberg
Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) defeated International Business Machines Corp. (IBM)'s effort to reopen bidding for a $600 million Central Intelligence Agency cloud ...

Times of India

Amazon Hints at Bay Area Grocery Service

Wall Street Journal (blog)
Amazon.com gave the strongest indication yet it will bring its grocery-delivery ... Google and eBay both offer same-day delivery, though not fresh groceries....

Wall Street Journal

Google Updates Glass With Transit Directions

Mashable
You might think that anyone who can afford a $1,500 pair of interactive glasses might not be inclined to ride public transit, but Google has a different vision in ...

Evening Standard

Microsoft: The Cloud Can't Be Slave to the Past - NYTimes.com

By QUENTIN HARDY
It's an interesting claim, anyway. Microsoft has long been in thrall to the Windows operating system and its associated products. Now, says the head of its cloud ...

NYT Bits 

Samsung and Google working together on 'Gear Glass'? - CNET News

Eric Mack
Could Google and Samsung be collaborating to bring Glass to the streets next year? (Credit: Google+/Google Glass). Just a few days ago, I casually polled other ...Crave: gorgeous gadgets and other crushworthy stuff. - CNET 

Google Glass edges toward launch with latest software update ...

Trevor Mogg
Each Glass software update pushes Google's device another step closer to its commercial launch, with October's release bringing with it transit directions, links ...

Digital Trends 

Google's Eric Schmidt says Android is more secure than the iPhone

Cody Lee
Google's Eric Schmidt says Android is more secure than the iPhone. By Cody ... when he said that the Android platform was more secure than Apple's iPhone…

iDownloadBlog.com

more technology news below

Follow @expricom

Internet Freedom Updates

China, US, Europe, Brazil --

China Censors Eye Internet Freedom In Shanghai Trade Zone, Says ...

Forbes
A proposed free-trade zone (FTZ) in Shanghai has fired the imagination of optimistic investors looking to China's new leaders for pro-market reforms. Backed by ...

TechWeekEurope UK

The Delicate Balance Between Internet Freedom and Big Data

Mashable
As the world keeps going online, with more and more people getting connected, there's more and more data available to be mined. And this large datasets of so ...

Bid to curb internet porn sparks freedom row in Britain

South China Morning Post
In a land whose uptight reputation is belied by its wicked ways, the Conservative-led British government is in midst of a crusade to enact some of the strictest ...

Washington Post

At UN, Estonian President stresses Internet governance in ...

UN News Centre
In his statement, he stressed that cyber security and internet freedom “are intrinsically linked and in no way incompatible.” “Freedom of opinion and expression ...

Nonprofits bring the Internet to low-income families in KC, KCK

Kansas City Star
The key: While most Internet service providers deliver the Net to homes via copper or, in Google's case, fiber optic cable, KC Freedom Network has gone ...

Kansas City Star

President Ilves at the UN: the Internet must remain open

The Baltic Course
"The same freedom of speech and the same personal liberties that are protected by law in the real world must be applicable on the Internet," confirmed the ...
The Baltic Course

Andres Oppenheimer: Brazil's proposal to regulate Internet is scary

MiamiHerald.com
Freedom of expression advocates say that Brazil's proposals to regulate the Internet are much more respectful of individual freedoms than China's or Russia's.

Apple passes Coke as world's 'top brand'
CNN
They headed a tech-heavy list, on which IBM, Microsoft, Samsung and Intel helped round out the top 10. But Apple shone brightest, as much for its role as a cultural institution as for the products ... Apple and Google were just two of many tech ...

Microsoft should buy BlackBerry. There, I said it
ZDNet
Google the phrase, "Microsoft should buy BlackBerry". You'll see a lot of hits appear. And with good reason too—Microsoft should buy BlackBerry. It's a bargain of ... It seems that Apple sweeps consumer tech but not necessarily corporate tech ...

Google Web Designer Offered As Free Download
InformationWeek
Adobe got serious about creating HTML5 tools that could replace its Flash authoring applications in 2010 at the urging of Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple at the time, who disallowed Adobe Flash on iOS devices. In his widely read public letter, "Thoughts on ...

Microsoft Expands Power BI, Translation For Office
InformationWeek
Microsoft's new Translator app is a standalone tool but also lets Windows 8 and Windows RT users select any text within Word or PowerPoint and instantly translate it. In a blog post, Microsoft noted that organizations can use the app with custom ...

Microsoft's Surface to be under revenue microscope
Computerworld
Computerworld - Microsoft will make it easier for Wall Street and industry analysts to track revenue generated by the company's struggling Surface line of tablets, the company promised Thursday. In a conference call with analysts last week, Microsoft ...

Google pays $55 million tax in Britain on 2012 sales of $5 billion
Chicago Tribune
LONDON (Reuters) - Google, which has been grilled twice in the past year by a UK parliamentary committee over its tax practices, had a UK tax bill of 35 million pounds ($55 million) in 2012, on sales of $4.9 billion to British customers, its accounts ...

Microsoft achieves FedRAMP JAB P-ATO for Windows Azure
Wall Street Journal
Windows Azure is the first public cloud platform, with infrastructure services and platform services, to receive a Provisional Authority to Operate from the FedRAMP Joint Authorization Board...

Microsoft to pay execs who stay, pay those culled during reorg turmoil
Computerworld
Computerworld - Microsoft handed out nearly $60 million in stock grants to eight executives on the same day it filed papers with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announcing that the board had authorized special incentives to keep...

Apple Reopens In-Store Pickup for iPhone 5s
PC Magazine
Fear not: Apple's in-store pick-up option has returned this week, if only in limited capacity. Depending on your choice of size, color, and carrier, the new flagship device is available for pick up in various stores, including New York's Grand Central ...

Mystery AD1257 eruption traced to Lombok, Indonesia
BBC News
Scientists think they have found the volcano responsible for a huge eruption that occurred in AD1257. The mystery event was so large its chemical signature is recorded in the ice of both the Arctic and the Antarctic. European medieval texts talk of a sudden ...

Facebook expands Graph Search to let you search status updates
CNET
Graph Search will now let some members uncover status updates, photo captions, check-ins, and comments....

UN's massive new climate report adds little explanation for 'pause' in warming
Fox News
An enormous U.N. report on the scientific data behind global warming was made available Monday, yet it offers little concrete explanation for an earthly oddity: the planet's climate has hit the pause button. Since 1998, there has been no significant increase in ...

Dumping a Surface? eBay averages double the return of a buyback vendor
Computerworld
Computerworld - First-generation Surface owners have complained that Microsoft won't buy their used tablets to fund their jones for the new editions slated to ship in three weeks, but other markets can actually return much more cash than any trade-in ...

Feds Defend Plan to Drop Gray Wolf Protection
ABC News
Federal officials offered a staunch defense Monday of their proposal to drop legal protections for the gray wolf in most of the country, as opponents rallied in the nation's capital before the first in a series of public hearings on the plan. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife ...

more technology news below

Follow @expricom

US wants China to recognise attacks on US

China blames cyber attacks on US, US wants China to recognise attacks on US
ZDNet
Summary: Accusations continue to fly as officials from the two most frequently attacked nations demand new cyber rules. Liam Tung. By Liam Tung | March 12, 2013 -- 13:12 GMT (06:12 PDT). Follow @liamT. The Obama administration's national security ...

Samsung's Galaxy S4: Does 5-inch screen make it a phablet?
ZDNet
Summary: Three years after mocking the 5-inch screen of the Dell Streak, Samsung's Galaxy S4 may make that display size commonplace everywhere. Will there be a correction in the run on large-screen phones? Larry Dignan. By Larry Dignan for Between ...

AT&T outshines Verizon in 4G LTE speed tests
CNET
AT&T offers the fastest LTE speeds among the top four U.S. carriers, says mobile analytics firm Root Metrics. Lance Whitney. by Lance Whitney. March 12, 2013 6:21 AM PDT Follow @lancewhit. AT&T may not have the largest 4G LTE network but it has the ...

Duesenberg doozy fetched cool $4.5 million
USA TODAY
Meet the belle of Amelia Island, Fla., the car that fetched the most at one auction house's big event this past weekend at one of the USA's premier car displays. This 1935 Duesenberg Model SJ Walker-LaGrande Convertible Coupe, one of three produced and ...

New protection for endangered trees against rampant logging trade
The Guardian
Every species of mahogany and rosewood tree in Madagascar gained new protection on Tuesday against a rampant logging trade which threatens to wipe out some species before they are even discovered. The 178 nations at the world's biggest wildlife ...

Lenovo CEO Considers Buying BlackBerry
DailyTech
Lenovo's slip about possibly buying BlackBerry sent the BB10 maker's shares up 14 percent in New York. Lenovo CEO Yang Yuanqing told French financial newspaper "Les Echos" that it could eventually buy BlackBerry, but it needs to review such a decision ...

DailyTech

Green cheese? Gold? NASA to reveal what Mars is made of
Fox News
NASA will reveal new discoveries about Mars gleaned from the Curiosity rover's first rock powder sample in a high-profile press conference on Tuesday. The Mars rover press conference, which will be held at the agency's headquarters in Washington, will ...

Ideal Pan-Staars comet viewing starts tonight
SlashGear
I mentioned earlier this week that there would be a comet visible with the naked eye in the night skies that would be viewable for people in the northern hemisphere. The comet is called Pan-Staars and tonight is when the comet will be at its brightest and most ...

SlashGear

Google Now quietly arrives in Chromium (but refuses to work)
SlashGear
Signs that Google Now, the search giant's context and prediction engine currently featured on Android phones, is coming to the desktop have been spotted, with a new Chromium feature teasing the functionality though not currently functional. Evidence of ...

Richard Garriott Explains Why he Needs a $1 Million Kickstarter
Escapist Magazine
Richard "Lord British" Garriott is fed up with videogame publishers, and wants the players to take their place for his upcoming online RPG, Shroud of the Avatar. Ultima creator Richard "Lord British" Garriott once paid $30 million from his personal finances to ...

Nissan COO to Take over Electric Car Unit in April Following Sluggish EV Sales
DailyTech
The electric vehicle industry is still struggling to capture the dollars of consumers around the world. Pure electric vehicles still sell in very low numbers making them nothing but a niche market for most automakers. The sales of hybrid vehicles are doing better, ...

DailyTech

App offers car data, driving 'assistant'
San Francisco Chronicle
Every driver knows the flash of panic that hits when the dashboard "check engine" warning light goes on, or when you don't remember where you parked. But San Francisco startup Automatic Labs will take the wraps off a device Tuesday that uses the car's ...

Apple Patents 'Friend Or Foe' Identification System For Social Networking Apps ...
TechCrunch
Apple has been granted a patent today (via AppleInsider) in an area where it hasn't had tremendous success: social networking. But the system described in the patent isn't specific to Apple's own social services, and instead describes software that could be ...

TechCrunch

Researchers predict IQ, age, and more using only Facebook Likes
SlashGear
Pretty much everyone is on Facebook today and odds are you are one of the masses who use the social network. Another thing that's common on the social network is clicking like on various things that interest you on the network. Those Likes apparently give ...

SlashGear

And Now ANOTHER Analyst Thinks Apple Might Miss Its Own Guidance
Business Insider
After years of destroying expectations, analysts now think it might not even beat its own guidance. Last week, Citi put out revenue estimates below Apple's revenue guidance. Today, Jefferies analyst Peter Misek says Apple could miss its own guidance thanks ...

Business Insider

More pain to come for Apple and investors?
CBS News
(MoneyWatch) Apple (AAPL) appears to be facing another dip in sales. According to Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White, major component suppliers to the consumer electronics giant saw a particularly low number of orders in February. One reason ...

Microsoft backs away from Flash ban in IE10
CNET (blog)
Arguing that support for Adobe's browser plug-in is an advantage, Microsoft now permits Flash by default on Windows 8 and Windows RT. Tablets that can't run Flash are merely "a companion to a PC." Stephen Shankland. by Stephen Shankland. March 12 ...

I Just Tried On Google Glass, And This Is What It Was Like
Business Insider
Over the weekend at the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, I had the opportunity to briefly try on Google's next-generation gadget, Google Glass. The experience was interesting, to say the least. The frames do not feel heavy on your face, and I didn't ...

Business Insider

Manatee Deaths From Red Tide: Algae Blamed For Killing 174 Of The ...
Huffington Post
MIAMI, March 11 (Reuters) - A red tide algae bloom has killed a record 174 manatees so far this year off Florida's southwest Gulf Coast, authorities said on Monday. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said it was the highest number of ...

TiVo introduces TiVo Mini for whole-home viewing space
FierceIPTV
Recognizing that its customers want more than single-device connectivity, TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO) has entered into the whole-home viewing space with the TiVo Mini, a product described in a press release as "an all-purpose companion device that allows TiVo ...

Why Would LinkedIn Buy Pulse?
Trefis
Although LinkedIn (NASDAQ:LNKD) hasn't commented yet, there are reports that the company may be in talks with newsreader app Pulse, to purchase it for a price between $50 million and $100 million. If the rumors are true, with Pulse's over 20 million users, ...

Colin Powell's Facebook page hacked
Mother Nature Network
Former Secretary of State Colin Powell's Facebook page was hacked on March 11, possibly by the same miscreant who stole personal photos from Bush family email accounts last month. "YOU WILL BURN IN HELL, BUSH!" read one of the more ...

Mother Nature Network

New Bacteria in Lake Vostok Actually a Contamination: Reports
Science World Report
(Photo : Reuters) But on 11 March the lab confirmed that it was not the bacteria but the contamination that generated the signal. Last week, Russian scientists announced the discovery of a new type of bacterial life found in the water samples collected from the ...

Science World Report

Climate Change Is Making Canada Look More Like the United States
The Atlantic Cities
Observant people who've driven through Canada their entire lives may have noticed a shift in their natural surroundings. That is, it's greener: A huge portion of the country, roughly equal to the area of the entire United States, is sprouting thick, luscious new ...

The Atlantic Cities

PlayStation Vita 3G to be discontinued by Sony?
Digital Spy
Joystiq claims to have heard from Sony store representatives in the US that the company is planning to offer the handheld console as a WiFi-only device in the future. Gallery - the Japanese-only Red and Blue Vita systems: PlayStation Vita Red and Blue ...

Julie Uhrman: Ouya Online Multiplayer Games Could Run By Year-End
Forbes
Ouya, the Android gaming console for television-based games, is working to launch multi-player gaming features later this year, said Julie Uhrman, founder and CEO of Ouya, in a talk at South By Southwest. The startup already has local multiplayer games ...

Forbes

Stanford professor wants to find asteroids that threaten Earth
Stanford University News
Several large asteroids have zipped dangerously close to Earth in the past month. Scott Hubbard is part of a team that plans to track down future threats. By Bjorn Carey. NASA/JPL-Caltech. Diagram depicts the passage of asteroid 2012 DA14 through the ...

Archive for March, 2013
TeensTalkTech (blog)
Curious to try out Microsoft's new Office 365? Just got a new PC or Mac and want a demo version of Office to use so you don't need to buy it right away? Well you're in luck as Microsoft just announced a new deal for students that you are going to want to check ...

Lunar impacts created seas of molten rock on Moon
The Hindu
Molten rock may have been present on the Moon's surface more recently and for longer periods than previously thought, a new study has found, which may help determine the exact age of the Earth's natural satellite. As the lunar magma ocean cooled over ...

Soon, self-healing smartphones and computers
IBNLive
Washington: Imagine if your smartphone or computer could repair on its own! It might sound like the stuff of science fiction as engineers at the California Institute of Technology, for the first time ever, have developed self-healing integrated chips. It means your ...

IBNLive

Preempting iPhone 5S release with Android clone
Product Reviews
Today has seen the release of the Goophone i5S, which is being marketed as an iPhone 5S clone. Knowing that we have established that this is indeed a replica, we can't help think how similar this knockoff is to Apple's current smartphone. We do find it ...

Product Reviews

Why cross-platform gaming is Microsoft's secret weapon
PCWorld (blog)
Microsoft has taken major heat for its recent reinvention efforts, but amid public lambasting of Windows 8 and the Surface tablets, a critical new development has largely been ignored: The company has both the hardware and software to dominate the four ...

Virgin Media tops Netflix's fastest UK ISP table
Inquirer
TELEVISION ON DEMAND SERVICE Netflix has awarded Virgin Media the top spot in its UK ISP Speed Index for the second time. The high ranking comes after Netflix has extended its Speed Index to more countries. The expectation is that people will check ...

Is .com the 212 area code of domains?
MarketWatch
The World Wide Web is getting wider with the addition of new top-level domains this year, but experts say businesses and marketers may find that grabbing new options won't do much good. The .com ending for Internet addresses still rules. The Internet ...

MarketWatch

Iran blocks VPN access to Gmail, Yahoo
CTV News
TEHRAN, Iran -- Iranian authorities have blocked many foreign-based virtual private networks, or VPNs, severely restricting access to many websites. The VPNs are illegal in Iran but offered a path for Iranians to freely use the Internet, access banned ...

CTV News

Beijing's bad air days
Washington Post
Air pollution in Beijing has been particularly bad this winter. Here's a look at the Chinese capital in the midst of the miasma. A Chinese flag flies in front of Beijing Telegraph Building on a hazy morning in central.. . .

Third-closest star system to Sun discovered
Hindu Business Line
WISE J104915.57-531906 is at the center of the larger image, which was taken by the NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE). (Image Credit: NASA/JPL/Gemini Observatory/AURA/NSF) ...

Hindu Business Line

EA says SimCity server issues improve, not yet 'all-clear'
Reuters
By Malathi Nayak. SAN FRANCISCO | Mon Mar 11, 2013 2:32pm EDT. SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Server problems that botched the launch of Electronic Arts Inc's new "SimCity" title last week and incensed gamers who could not access the game for days ...

Jaguar Land Rover Ready to Launch the Next Generation Range Rover Evoque
Daily auto news
Jaguar Land Rover has installed a nine speed automatic transmission system on the next model of the Range Rover Evoque. This ZF transmission system replaces the current six speed transmission system and is expected to be present on all models post ...

Astronomers Conduct 'Reconnaissance' Of Another Solar System
Forbes
There are four planets circling the HR8799, a star 128 light years away from our own planet. Now, for the first time, astronomers working in a group called Project 1640 have unveiled a new method of ”remote reconaissance” that enables them to understand ...

Forbes

Grasshopper spacecraft makes record hop
TG Daily
SpaceX's reusable Grasshopper spacecraft has managed to hop more than 24 stories into the air, hover and then land safely. The 263-foot jump, at SpaceX's rocket development facility in McGregor, Texas, was double the craft's previous record. It hovered for ...

TG Daily

Gmail for mobile browsers gets iPhone-like update
NBCNews.com (blog)
Google has updated its Gmail mobile web app to have a clean new look reminiscent of the latest iOS app, following positive feedback from the most recent redesign. Heavy Gmail users probably use a dedicated app for their email needs, but being able to ...

Apple showcases its vast app catalog in two new iPhone ads
IntoMobile
Apple and Samsung put a lot of money and effort into their marketing campaigns. While Samsung tends to be showy and controversial, Apple gets to the heart of the matter in its ads. The latest series of commercials have focused on the iPad and the ways ...

Blizzard Entertainment Developers Launch Gamers Into StarCraft II: Heart Of The ...
Forbes
Around the globe, PC gamers are already battling it out in Blizzard Entertainment's StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm. The new game from Activision Blizzard Publishing had launch celebrations around the world, including at the Irvine GameStop just down the ...

Forbes

Seattle Bar Bans Google Glass Ahead Of Release
DrJays.com Live
A guy walks into a bar. The bartender says, “Hey, take off those $1,500 augmented reality spectacles or get out.” End of story. A self-proclaimed dive bar in Seattle has become the first known business to ban Google Glass, months before the device is ...

Are Tropical Forests Immune To Global Warming?
Lifehacker Australia
A new study by 'climate modeller' Dr Chris Huntingford has found tropical forests are unlikely to lose biomass in response to greenhouse gas emissions caused by global warming. (He doesn't appear to be a crackpot either.) Forest picture from Shutterstock ...

more technology news below

Follow @expricom