Microsoft Takes On US DOJ Over Email Privacy (video)

Microsoft Is Taking On the Government Over Email Privacy: Video - Bloomberg:
(Allow video to load after clicking play or go to link above)
Brad Smith, general counsel at Microsoft, explains why Microsoft is taking on the U.S. government over email privacy. He speaks with Bloomberg's Trish Regan on "Street Smart." (Source: Bloomberg 12/15)

Microsoft gets allies to help tell U.S. to back off on Irish search warrant
PCWorld
The U.S. Department of Justice should back off its request for Microsoft to turn over a suspect's digital documents stored on a server in Ireland, or be prepared for other governments demanding documents stored on U.S. servers, the company's general ...

iTunes trial: Case over Apple's digital music dominance heads to jury
San Jose Mercury News
OAKLAND -- iTunes 7.0: A landmark improvement to Apple's software for the iPod or an empty update meant to drive out competitors and hike prices for consumers? That will be the $1 billion question for a federal jury in Oakland as they deliberate over ...

Fortune
Apple aced its e-book antitrust appeal
Fortune
Judge Jacobs also repeatedly referred to Amazon's $9.99 pricing policy, whereby it sold books at below the wholesale acquisition cost, as “predatory ...
US faces tough questions in Apple e-books antitrust appeal - Reuters


Forbes
Facebook Removes Microsoft Bing Search Feature
Forbes
Bing.com is currently the second largest search engine with 20% of the market compared to Google's 67%. Fortunately for Microsoft, Yahoo!/Bing is ...

IBNLive
That Was Fast; Spain Already In Full Retreat Over Google Tax
Forbes
That's the exile of all of the Spanish press from the main Google index. ... 

The Guardian
Amazon UK's 1 penny firesale
CNNMoney
It was caused by a glitch in the software that third party sellers on Amazon ... Most of the orders have been canceled by Amazon. ... 

New York Times
Potential $1 billion Apple DRM judgment is now in jury's hands
The Verge
A jury of eight will now decide whether Apple should pay more than $1 ... "Plaintiffs don't understand the technology in this case," she told the jury.
Former engineer claims Apple intended to block 100 percent of non-iTunes clients - Digital Trends

TIME
Tuesday Is Amazon's Free Shipping Christmas Deadline
TIME
Inside An Amazon.com Distribution Center On Cyber Monday An employee stacks boxes filled with merchandise for shipment at the Amazon.com Inc.

TechRepublic
Why Google Fiber missed the mark with free internet
TechRepublic
Many know Google Fiber for its gigabit internet, but did you know it offers a no-cost option for internet access? Here's how Google dropped the ball on ...

TechCrunch
Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook Profile Under Attack From Brazilian Trolls
TechCrunch
Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook profile has come under attack from a large ... photos and other “meme” images, on the Facebook CEO's public posts. ... this Facebook group titled “Flood that Mark” (translation via Google Translate). ... the design of Facebook's service and development of its core technology ...

Google App for iOS Gains Nest Integration
Mac Rumors
Following last week's major redesign, the Google app for iOS has seen yet ... Google makes devices and services that work with Google AND Apple ...

Google might build its own 'buy now' button to compete with Amazon
The Verge
Google has long had an e-commerce arm; its Google Shopping product lets you buy ... 

Video game industry struggles to grow, a year after new consoles launch - CNET: "After months of subsisting on strong sales of new game hardware, overall game spending plummets in November."

Google and French Space Agency partner on Project Loon:
Press Releases - CNES: "A fleet of balloons providing an Internet connection to rural, remote and underserved areas: that is the goal of Google’s ambitious Project Loon. CNES is supporting this project with balloon engineering expertise for which it has acquired international acclaim over the last 50 years. CNES and Google are delighted to be working together to give new momentum to research efforts in this area."

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Sapphire Worth the Extra Cost for Apple iPhone? (video)

Video - Is Sapphire the Answer to the Scratched iPhone? - WSJ.com:
Is Sapphire the Answer to the Scratched iPhone?
Apple is betting $700 million that sapphire, a harder and more expensive material, can replace glass and better protect the newest iPhone. WSJ's Daisuke Wakabayashi joins the News Hub with Sara Murray.

Email Is Still the Best Thing on the Internet - The Atlantic: "... Email is actually a tremendous, decentralized, open platform on which new, innovative things can and have been built. In that way, email represents a different model from the closed ecosystems we see proliferating across our computers and devices. Email is a refugee from the open, interoperable, less-controlled "web we lost." It's an exciting landscape of freedom amidst the walled gardens of social networking and messaging services. Yes, email is exciting. Get excited!..."


New York Times
German Authors Join Protest Over Amazon's Tactics in E-Book Dispute
New York Times
Amazon has grown in Germany, its largest market outside America, with this distribution center in Brieselang. It plans to open two logistics centers ...


Forbes
iPhone 6 Leaks Show New Cable Design. Apple Redesigns USB
Forbes
The joke goes: if there is a universal standard Apple Apple will find a way to make ... and Apple appears ready to forge ahead with its own version of the technology. ...


VentureBeat
Google Partners With Mesosphere - Ramps Up Its Container Commitment
Forbes
Not to be left out, Google Google was one of the vendors that introduced the ... Kubernetes has support and contributions from Microsoft Microsoft, IBM and ... Mesos (and, by extension Mesosphere) is an exciting technology. ... on fire and Google is trying hard to catch up to Amazon Web Services in the ...


Android Headlines - Android News
Google Maps is tracking everywhere you go
Vox
Google probably already knows your age, your interests, and everything you've looked at online. But now, there's proof that Google knows where you ...


Economic Times
Google acquires image-recognition startup Jetpac
CNET
Google has other plans, though: the app will disappear in a month. ... Jetpac will remove its apps from Apple's App Store on September 15, the ... It's not clear exactly what Googlewill do with Jetpac's technology for finding things ... In the past he has been CNET's beat reporter for Google, Yahoo, Linux, ...


Tech Times
Microsoft Considered Renaming Internet Explorer Due To Negative Perceptions
Forbes
I cover noteworthy technology, startups, and gadgets ... This is about triple the market share of the second-place browser, Google Google Chrome. ... The potential rebranding was revealed when engineers from Microsoft's ... dropping due to competition against Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, Apple ...

Can Microsoft beat Apple by being rational?
CNET
Microsoft/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET I've never been too ... Apple and Samsung have both developed powerful, emotional pulls.


SavingAdvice.com
Microsoft pulls its August Windows update after users report crashes
PCWorld (blog)
Microsoft has pulled its August Update for Windows after users reported crashes and issues restarting their systems. The company is currently ...


Techaeris
Google Cardboard works on the iPhone, too
CBS News
You might recall that Google unveiled its Cardboard hardware at last ... Google intended Cardboard for Android, so Apple iPhone users were shut out ...


Firstpost
Facebook Testing 'Satire' Tags for Sites Like The Onion
Mashable
Facebook is testing out a feature that marks fake news stories from sites such as The Onion with "satire" in its News Feed, a feature requested by some ...
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Microsoft Admits Reading Emails

BBC News - Microsoft admits reading Hotmail inbox of blogger: "Microsoft is caught up in a privacy storm after it admitted it read the Hotmail inbox of a blogger while pursuing a software leak investigation."

Microsoft Software Leak Inquiry Raises Privacy Issues
New York Times
SEATTLE — Technology companies have spent months denying they know anything about broad government spying on people who use their Internet ...

Microsoft Hotmail and Outlook privacy detailed following leak scandal | BGR: "Microsoft actually looked through the Hotmail email of a French blogger who was in contact with the leaker, and make available online early copies of Windows 7 and Windows 8, as well as means that allowed users to circumvent activations protection for Microsoft and Windows."

Court docs: Microsoft searched through blogger’s e-mail to track down alleged leaker: "In the course of tracking down the alleged leaker, Microsoft searched through the blogger's e-mail account -- before involving law enforcement -- according to court documents."

Microsoft explains --
Strengthening our policies for investigations - Microsoft on the Issues - Site Home - TechNet Blogs: "...As part of the investigation, we undertook a limited review of this third party’s Microsoft operated accounts. While Microsoft’s terms of service make clear our permission for this type of review, this happens only in the most exceptional circumstances...."

Google tries to NSA-proof Gmail
CNNMoney
Gmail now encrypts all data moving between you, Google's servers and the person ...Google is trying to limit the abilities of the U.S. government's secretive ... The fix won't work if a Gmail user emails someone with a Microsoft (MSFT, ... Chitika: Apple still growing in North America, Samsung less so.

BlackBerry Suffers Blow as White House Tests Samsung, LG Phones - WSJ.com: ""We can confirm that the White House Communications Agency, consistent with the rest of the Department of Defense, is piloting and using a variety of mobile devices," a Defense Department spokesman said. He declined to comment on the devices in the pilot test or in use at the White House."

Twitter Blocked in Turkey as Prime Minister Pledges to 'Eradicate' It: "Erdoğan appears to have made use of a recent and highly controversial law, passed by the Turkish Parliament, that allows the government's Telecommunications Board to "shut down" websites based on anything it judges to be "privacy violations." Two weeks ago, he also threatened to shut down Facebook and YouTube."

Pay TV subscriber losses totaled 104,000 in 2013 | BGR: "According to new data from Leichtman Research Group, pay TV providers posted a net loss of 104,000 subscribers in 2013, the first time the pay TV industry has ever lost subscribers year-over-year. The biggest losers were Time Warner Cable and Comcast, which respectively lost 825,00 and 305,000 pay TV subscribers each." 

The Trans-Pacific Partnership Will "Significantly" Restrict Online Freedoms | Motherboard: "Today, 25 tech companies, including Reddit, Automattic (WordPress.com), Imgur, and Boing Boing, sent an open letter to Sen. Ron Wyden urging him to oppose any form of a TPP fast track. After thanking Sen. Wyden for his staunch defense of "users and online rights," and congratulating him on his appointment as Chair of the Senate Finance Committee, the coalition wrote, "These highly secretive, supranational agreements are reported to include provisions that vastly expand on any reasonable definition of 'trade,' including provisions that impact patents, copyright, and privacy in ways that constrain legitimate online activity and innovation.""

This drone can steal what's on your phone - Mar. 20, 2014: ".... the drone can send back a signal pretending to be networks you've connected to in the past. Devices two feet apart could both make connections with the quadcopter, each thinking it is a different, trusted Wi-Fi network. When the phones connect to the drone, Snoopy will intercept everything they send and receive. "Your phone connects to me and then I can see all of your traffic," Wilkinson said...."

Amazon Prime price shock? Try these cheaper rivals - Business - The Boston Globe: "...if you’re annoyed and looking for alternatives, there are cheaper versions you can try. Rivals including ShopRunner, Overstock.com, and Newegg offer online shoppers free shipping on a wide range of products. Their annual fees are all less than the $99 annual price tag for Amazon Prime...."

Apple, Samsung Square Off Over Smartphones: "According to Asymco, Apple’s iPhone represents an impressive 15% of all mobile units shipped around the world. But the iPhone enjoys nearly 40% of the revenue and an astounding 60% of industry profits. Samsung, meanwhile, accounts for around 50% of units shipped, 50% of revenue, and 40% of profits. Apple and Samsung, between them, take home 100% of the mobile handset industry profits."

Netflix CEO hates paying off Comcast, Verizon due to 'weak' net neutrality
TechRadar UK
Netflix is paying the fiber optic piper, but doesn't much like it according to the first comments from its CEO since the US Federal Communications Commission's net neutrality rules were declared unenforceable. "Some big ISPs are extracting a toll because they ...

Netflix US & Canada Blog: Internet Tolls And The Case For Strong Net Neutrality: "Once Netflix agrees to pay the ISP interconnection fees, however, sufficient capacity is made available and high quality service for consumers is restored. If this kind of leverage is effective against Netflix, which is pretty large, imagine the plight of smaller services today and in the future. Roughly the same arbitrary tax is demanded from the intermediaries such as Cogent and Level 3, who supply millions of websites with connectivity, leading to a poor consumer experience."

Netflix & Level 3 Only Telling Half The Story, Won't Detail What Changes They Want To Net Neutrality - Dan Rayburn - StreamingMediaBlog.com: "....What also makes this complicated is that Netflix is only highlighting the things that benefit their argument and isn’t telling the whole story. In some cases, they are also making statements that aren’t accurate. Netflix likes to make it sound like they have no choice when it comes to sending their traffic into the ISPs networks, when in fact, they have many choices. The transit market is extremely competitive, with at least a dozen major providers who offer transit services at different price points and with different SLAs. Netflix could use multiple providers to connect to ISPs and could also use third party CDNs like Akamai, EdgeCast and Limelight, who are already connected to ISPs, to deliver their traffic. In fact, this is how Netflix delivered 100% of their traffic for many, many years, using third-party CDNs. Netflix likes to make it sound like there is only one way to deliver videos on the Internet when in fact, there are multiple ways. No one who understands how the Internet works would debate this...."

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Google services work better than Microsoft's

"It might be something to do with a complete inability to trust my fellow human, but I don't stick to any one provider of Web services. I use three different browsers and three different e-mail services. I have no adoration toward any of them, but if there's one thing that's hard not to admit, it's that most of Google's tend to work a little better than anyone else's." (source infra)

Google, Microsoft outages: Two different outlooks?
CNET
While Google experienced a minutes-long outage Friday, Microsoft offered a three-day outage to its mail services. Two companies heading in opposite directions? ...

Security Researcher Uses Zuckerberg's Wall to Prove Facebook Bug
PC Magazine
If at first you don't succeed, post a message on Mark Zuckerberg's wall. As in, Mark Zuckerberg's personal wall – aside from driving by Facebook headquarters with a loudspeaker in hand, we can think of few better ways to get the CEO's attention, especially if ...


Nevada petroglyphs the oldest in North America
Las Vegas Sun
Ancient rock etchings along a dried-up lake bed in Nevada have been confirmed to be the oldest recorded petroglyphs in North America _ more than 10,000 years old. Larry Benson, a U.S. Geological Survey scientist who used radiocarbon testing to date the ...

Canonical's Ubuntu Edge Crowd Sourcing Impressive
Guardian Express
Canonical, the creators of Ubuntu, launched an ambitious crowd sourcing venture this past June to begin funding Ubuntu Edge, a completely new kind of smartphone. In the short time they gave themselves, Canoncacle has crowd sourced an impressive $10, ...

Samsung Said to Be Preparing to Unveil Smart Watch
New York Times
Samsung Electronics plans to introduce a wristwatch in September that can make phone calls, play video games and send e-mails, potentially beating Apple to market with a piece of technology that moves mobile communications beyond the smartphone. Bits ...

Google's Answer to British Lawsuit: Your Privacy Laws Don't Touch us
The Herald | HeraldOnline.com
“Google's position on the law is the same as its position on tax: they will only play or pay on their home turf. What are they suggesting- that they will force Apple ...

Apple Teases Mac Pro in New Movie Theater Ads
PC Magazine
We suppose it make sense for Apple to slap an advertisement or two in movie theaters prior to the showing of a little ol' film about the company's most key ...

Apple Initiates Video Card Replacement Program for Radeon HD ...
AnandTech
In a somewhat baffling piece of news this weekend, word comes that Applehas ... Specifically, Apple is running into issues with the AMD's Radeon HD 6970M ...

AnandTech

Apple Fingers Payment Revolution
Forbes
So the question now should be: will the fingerprint scanner in the new iPhone merely be a gimmick that will remain largely unused and forgotten a year from now ...

Apple Planning Maintenance On Developer Site After Hack
Wall Street Journal (blog)
Apple sent an email to developers alerting them that its developer site, which ... Other companies, such as Google, offer a similar dashboard for customers as a ...

Wall Street Journal (blog)

'Google Impact Challenge' launches in India
Moneycontrol.com
'Google Impact Challenge' launches in India. Google this week launched the Google Impact Challenge in India. It was the second such challenge to be held ...

Moneycontrol.com

Microsoft Continues Ergonomic Line with 'Manta Ray'
CIO Today
It's no surprise that this new Microsoft keyboard is optimized for Windows functionality, with hot keys at the top of the device, plus media playback and ...

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Hey Marissa! -- fix your email service!

BT customers who use the Yahoo! service have complained since February that hackers are repeatedly taking control of accounts and using them to pump out spam emails (source infra)

Will Yahoo! ever fix its spammy email service?

BT dumps Yahoo! email after hacking claims - Telegraph: " . . . . It will come as a blow to Yahoo! chief executive Marissa Mayer, who has been battling to restore the company’s reputation for technological competence since taking over last year. She is also tasked with reversing a long-term decline in traffic to Yahoo!’s email service and homepage, which account for most of its advertising business. The hacking problems that affected BT customers appeared to be repeated around the world. Subscribers to Telecom NZ, which has a similar outsourced email deal, reported similar security breaches. Internet security experts said criminals had used a an international network of hijacked computers to mount the attacks on Yahoo!. The new email system for BT broadband subscribers will be branded BT Mail and run by Critical Path, a privately-held specialist email provider based in California. BT will also replace the BT Yahoo! homepage with a redesigned BT.com website. It will feature breaking news and be used to showcase BT Sport, the company’s new television venture. . . ."

Motorola factory expected to have large economic impact on Fort Worth | Dallasnews.com - News for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News: "“The [potential] impact is pretty great to the metroplex,” said Randall, who worked for Nokia and helped develop the Fort Worth plant in 1994. “There were roughly 5,400 employees at Nokia and maybe another 3,000 to 4,000 at other companies.” Finnish-owned Nokia moved its cellphone production to Mexico and Asia in mid-2000. Motorola, based near Chicago and owned by Google, has invested $25 million so far to retrofit the 480,000-square-foot building, Randall said. Now it will become the only plant making Motorola products in the United States — and the first smartphone to be assembled in the United States."

Justice Department tries to force Google to hand over user data
CNET
Secret lawsuit in Manhattan filed last month asks judge to force Google to cough up user data without a search warrant. A different court has already ruled that the process is unconstitutional....
Apple Shifts Supply Chain Away From Foxconn to Pegatron - WSJ.com: "Pegatron's rise means an end to the monopoly that Foxconn Technology Group —the trade name for Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., the world's largest electronics contract manufacturer—has held over the production of Apple's mobile products."

Apple's two-factor security isn't as good as Microsoft or Google's, say experts
Register
Apple's two-factor authentication system does not protect users' private files backed up to the iCloud, it is claimed. Fanbois have been able to secure their Apple accounts with a two-step login process since March: these accounts are important because they ...

Google Announces HTC One with Clean Version of Android for $599
ABC News
At the All Things D conference Google Android and Chrome OS chief Sundar Pichai announced the HTC One Google Edition, which will take HTC's current One smartphone and put Google'suntarnished version of Android on the phone. HTC's One currently ...

Ex-Microsoft manager plans to create first US marijuana brand
Reuters
SEATTLE (Reuters) - A former Microsoft executive plans to create the first U.S. national marijuana brand, with cannabis he hopes to eventually import legally from Mexico, and said he was kicking off his business by acquiring medical pot dispensaries in ...

Hey, Microsoft: It's the apps, stupid
Computerworld
Computerworld - Microsoft today revealed some of the changes in Windows 8 due to reach customers in a month, but didn't address what analysts called the biggest barrier to the OS's success. That would be Windows 8 apps, dubbed "Modern" apps, or if one ...

Microsoft aims to simplify with Windows 8.1
Fox News
Even as Microsoft positions Windows 8 as its solution to the popularity of touch-screen tablets, it hasn't proven it's compelling enough to put a major dent in the popularity of Apple Inc.'s pioneering iPad or other tablets running on Google Inc.'s ...

Google wants software vendors to respond to vulnerabilities within 7 days
Computerworld
... fix is very reasonable; they should not provide more." Google has a fairly large security research team whose members are often credited by third-party vendors, including large ones like Adobe andMicrosoft, with discovering vulnerabilities in ...

As Apple's CEO Hints At 'Game Changers' Like Smart TVs, Watches, Patents ...
Forbes
While Apple Apple CEO Tim Cook declined to detail exactly what “incredible ideas” the company is working on, his hints this week around smart televisions and wearable computing devices suggest new gadgets in new categories are definitely in Apple's ...

Microsoft defends the design of the Xbox One
Inquirer
xbox-one-controller-2. SOFTWARE HOUSE Microsoft has treated punters to a closer look at its Xbox One games console, lingering on its controller, screens, and general desirability. The firm has pulled in some photos and comments from people close to the ...

Microsoft to settle Vringo lawsuit over search-related patents
Economic Times
The lawsuit came after a jury in Virginia awarded I/P Engine about $30 million in damages after fining companies including Google Inc and AOL Inc for infringing the same patents at issue in theMicrosoft case. That verdict last November was seen as a ...

Apple and Google got €25m in grant aid from IDA
Irish Independent
ENTERPRISE Minister Richard Bruton has said Apple and Google have received an aggregate €25m in grant assistance from the IDA since the two firms established in Ireland.

Apple's New Product Strategy | TechCrunch
By Darrell Etherington
Apple appears to be on a kick of delivering product refreshes to punctuate its major release cycle, with changes to devices and tweaked versions that go beyon..
TechCrunch

Nuance CEO Confirms Siri Partnership with Apple - Mac Rumors
By Juli Clover
Nuance has long been given credit for powering Siri's speech recognition capabilities, but neither the company nor Apple have ever confirmed the... ... It has also formed partnerships with several other companies and Siri competitors, such as Amazon's Evi, and released an API for developers. Though Nuance is responsible for Siri's voice recognition capabilities, Ricci did point ... I love Apple, but face it, Siri's voice recognition is way behind Google. And until they allow developers to ...
MacRumors: Mac News and Rumors...

Want to know why there is no Apple TV yet? Then check out Fan TV ...
By Janko Roettgers
Fanhattan introduced a flashy new TV device that promises to combine live pay TV with online streaming - but making this actually work for consumers will be challenging.
GigaOM

How Google Is Finally Fixing Android's Deepest Flaw - Gizmodo
By Brian Barrett
You might not have noticed, but in the last two weeks Google has fixed the thing you hate most about Android.
Gizmodo

HTC One Google Edition - Business Insider
By Steve Kovach
The HTC One Google Edition. ... Microsoft Invented A Tablet A Decade Before Apple And Totally Blew It · The New Bird Flu Will Spread More Easily ... 11 Hot Products From Amazon's Brand New Male Grooming Department · 11 Hot Products ...
Business Insider

Official Google Enterprise Blog: New mobile Admin app

To make it easier for Google Apps administrators to manage their users, services and devices, we recently announced a redesigned Admin console. Two weeks ...
googleenterprise.blogspot.com/.../new-mobile-admin-app.html

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New Yahoo! email service - fast and intuitive

Introducing the New Yahoo! Mail | Official Yahoo! Blog - Yodel Anecdotal: "By Marissa Mayer, CEO - Email is the ultimate daily habit. It’s often the first thing we check in the morning and the last thing before going to bed. Why? Because it’s one of the simplest and most basic forms of communication. And since it’s such an important part of our daily lives, we’re making a few improvements to Yahoo! Mail. You’ve told us loud and clear that you want fewer distractions when it comes to email. You want to quickly login, communicate, and get on with your day. And we’ve listened. Starting today, the new Yahoo! Mail is fast, easy and available anywhere you go. These improvements will be available on all major platforms . . . "

Yahoo! Introduces A "New Mail" Experience, And It's More Intuitive And Built For ...
TechCrunch
Today, Yahoo! introduced an update to its popular mail service, with its CEO Marissa Mayer taking the reigns of the Yahoo! Blog to discuss it. Brand new versions of Yahoo! Mail, one of its flagship products, is now available on all devices, and will be rolling out...

TechCrunch

Air Force set to blast off another secretive space drone
Los Angeles Times
An experimental robotic space plane developed for the Air Force is slated to launch Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, fueling an ongoing mystery about its hush-hush payload and overall mission. Air Force officials offered few details about the mission. They say ...

Detroit auto show: Honda will show off small crossover concept
Los Angeles Times
Get ready for Honda to offer a small SUV, pegged below the size and price of the CR-V for the U.S. market, sometime in the next several years. Honda Motor Co. put out a brief statement Tuesday saying that an all-new Honda small SUV concept vehicle will ...

Apple, Google Teaming Up to Buy Kodak Patents: Report
eWeek
Apple and Google, cooperating in a way unimaginable under Steve Jobs' rule, are chipping in to buy Kodak's imaging patents. Apple and Google have a rivalry that's about as intense and cutthroat as tech rivalries go. But the leaders of each also know when ...

eWeek

Microsoft's SkyDrive app comes to Xbox 360
CNET
It's part of a wider app roll-out for the Xbox 360. You should expect to see a dedicated SkyDrive app appear on your console later today. Charlie Osborne. by Charlie Osborne. December 11, 2012 5:49 AM PST. (Credit: Microsoft). Microsoft is launching a ...

Look out, world! Are you ready for John McAfee: THE MOVIE?
Register
Antivirus pioneer John McAfee, who found himself at the centre of Central America's hottest manhunt in recent history, has sold the exclusive film rights to his life story. McAfee was named by police as a "person of interest" but not a suspect following the ...

Twitter releases photo filters
Washington Post
Twitter announced Monday that it was stepping into the photo-sharing business with a new editing tool that allows mobile photographers to enhance, crop and apply filters to their snaps. It's a direct shot against Instagram — formerly a close Twitter partner.

Your Morning Script: Would You Like Sports With Your Pay-TV Order?
Wall Street Journal (blog)
DirecTV has started charging new customers in markets such as New York and Los Angeles an extra fee for regional sports channels, a move highlighting not only sports' rising costs but also their generally opaque nature for subscribers, WSJ reports. This is ...

Google offloads Motorola's China, Brazil factories
CNET
Motorola has struck a deal to pare back on its manufacturing facilities, allowing Flextronics to take them over. Roger Cheng. by Roger Cheng. December 11, 2012 5:07 AM PST Follow @RogerWCheng. Google's Motorola Mobility unit has signed a deal to sell ...

Stephen Hawking's £1.8m physics prize win proves time is money
The Guardian
His mind has grappled with space and time, and explored the strange beauty of black holes aglow, but in recent days a more earthly problem has occupied the world's most famous scientist. Stephen Hawking, the former Lucasian professor of mathematics at...

The Guardian

Russia backtracks on internet governance proposals
BBC News
Russian-backed proposals calling for 193 countries to be given "equal rights to manage the internet" have been pulled at a UN conference in Dubai. The US had threatened to block the suggested additions to an international communications treaty. It wants ...

BBC News

Samsung Galaxy S4 will be a no-show at CES
CNET
Instead, Samsung will go heavy on the television announcements at next month's Consumer Electronics Show, CNET has learned. Roger Cheng. by Roger Cheng. December 11, 2012 5:26 AM PST Follow @RogerWCheng. The successor to the blockbuster ...

UPDATE 1-Bidding war for processor technology MIPS heats up
Reuters
Tue Dec 11, 2012 8:46am EST. LONDON Dec 11 (Reuters) - The battle for MIPS Technologies intensified on Tuesday when CEVA said it would pay $90 million for the microprocessor operating business, trumping a bid from Britain's Imagination Technologies ...

Irrational Games will offer fans an alternative to BioShock Infinite's cover art
Digital Trends
Irrational Games writer Drew Holmes discusses the cover art for BioShock Infinite and the challenges of giving players a character to identify with in an FPS. The cover art for BioShock Infinite (seen on the right) caused a bit of a stir among hardcore fans ...

Maserati Quattroporte refreshed to take on Porsche's 4-door bruiser
SlashGear
Maserati has revealed its updated Quattroporte, a tightening of the four-door sports sedan expected to bite into Porsche Panamera sales come 2013. The sixth-generation of the car, the new Quattroporte is lighter than its predecessor as well as faster and ...

SlashGear

Curiosity drill flaw could self-destruct Mars rover's electronics
SlashGear
NASA's Curiosity rover could destroy its own electronics systems when it begins using its percussive drill to mine Mars rock samples, the space agency has admitted, a known flaw since before the robot explorer even took off from Earth. The late discovery of a ...

SlashGear

Nintendo turns your iPhone or iPad into a Pokedex
Digital Trends
One of Nintendo's biggest franchises is Pokemon. While Nintendo isn't letting its IP go to the new mobile platforms yet, The Pokemon Company has brought its full Pokedex to iOS devices - for a price. Nintendo guards its intellectual properties closely.

The Facebook vote and a nation-state in cyberspace
CNET
What happens when 3 billion or 5 billion people are all connected through a single entity that seeks to mirror in the digital world how people interact in the real world? Dan Farber. by Dan Farber. December 11, 2012 4:56 AM PST Follow @dbfarber ...

NASA awards $30 million to three private space firms
SlashGear
NASA has announced that it has awarded a total of $30 million to fund three private companies developing vehicles to take astronauts into orbit. The money will reportedly be used to help the companies ensure that their spacecraft are safe and reliable.

SlashGear

Worldwide Gmail, Chrome crash caused by sync server error
ZDNet (blog)
Summary: Gmail crumbles for 40 minutes, while at the same time Google Chrome browsers crashed almost simultaneously around the world (and in some cases, numerous times). Despite the apparent connection, the two problems were not linked.

Photoshop CS6 Gets Retina Display Mac Support
The Mac Observer
Adobe released Photoshop CS6 13.0.2 on Tuesday, adding Retina Display support to the professional photo and image editing application for the Mac. The update improves the appearance of Photoshop's interface along with images on Retina Display Macs, ...

The Mac Observer

Linkpost | 12.11.2012
Houston Chronicle (blog)
Twitter photos: Put a filter on it – As expected, Twitter adds image filters to its apps for Android and iOS. The new versions have been submitted to the Google and Apple app stores.

Top Twitter Trends of 2012
ABC News (blog)
Microblogging website Twitter has changed the way people communicate — and in no more than 140 characters per statement. New users flock to Twitter every day. This year, among the notable names who got their own Twitter handles for the very first time ...

Obama-named lizard was wiped out with the dinosaurs
BBC News
Obama-named lizard was wiped out with the dinosaurs. Jawbone of Obamadon gracilis Several of the species' relationships were determined just from jaw fragments,...

BBC News

T-Mobile isn't paying for your phone anymore, and that's a good thing
Digital Trends
T-Mobile has an ambitious plan to end smartphone subsidies. Could you actually come out ahead by paying up-front for your phone? During T-Mobile's annual investor conference in Germany, newly-installed CEO John Legere dropped two bombshells. . . .

Apple's iPhone 5S: A Rainbow of Colors, Cool Tech Expected in June 2013
Techzone360
Well the leaks have started for real - or at least the rumors have started in earnest - about the next iPhone release. In part, the noise has a bit of credibility behind it as long-time Apple analyst Peter Misek of Jeffries - who has put out some of the "possibilities" ...

Michigan business: Ford has solution for Fusions, Escapes; metro Detroit ...
Detroit Free Press
Here's a roundup of Michigan business news: Surprise health care fee raises question: Will companies or employees pay it? Michigan companies were stunned to learn that they'll have to pay $63 per covered person annually for health insurance when ...

Kaleidescape to Offer Time Warner Movies
Wall Street Journal
Kaleidescape Inc., a Silicon Valley company known for costly movie servers and a court battle over copying DVDs, on Tuesday is revamping its strategy for the era of downloads. The closely held company plans to let users of its hardware buy and download ...

Meteor Shower This Week
courierjournal
FLORENCE – The UNA planetarium and observatory reminds the public about the upcoming Geminid meteor shower on the night of December 13/14. This year's peak will occur during new moon, making for nearly ideal viewing conditions. A meteor is just a ...

Google Maps Now Let Users View The Earth At Night
ValueWalk
Google unveils its new Earth at Night feature for Google Maps, which utilizes NASA and NOAA's new Black Marble imagery. Black Marble was compiled from satellite images showing the earth at night. Earth at Night is entirely interactive and enables users to ...

ValueWalk

Google offers $99 Chromebook for teachers and students
Digital Trends
Google wants to make computers accessible to all students and teachers and is offering its Samsung Series S 5 Chromebook for just $99. Teachers and school systems across America are realizing that computers and laptops are becoming integral for the ...

Over the Moon! Most Expensive Christmas Present Ever
The Fiscal Times
Can't say this was ever on any Christmas or Hannukah wish list that we've come across, but who knows, stranger things have happened ... Maybe it was on someone's list for Saturnalia way back when? RELATED: 9 Gifts for 9 Holidays This Season ...

The Fiscal Times

Apple (sort of) fixes 'potentially life-threatening' error in its Maps app
Digital Trends
Traveling in Australia? Using Apple Maps to navigate your way to the small town of Mildura in Victoria? Apple has now fixed the "potentially life-threatening" error in Maps, allowing you to travel secure in the knowledge you won't end up stranded and sweating ...

South Africa Says US Should Adopt Carbon Budget by 2020
Bloomberg
The U.S. should provide more detail about its probable emissions and consider adopting a U.K.-like carbon budget to take advantage of global emissions markets by 2020, according to a South African climate negotiator. The U.S. should prepare to “take on a ...

National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Reports That Fatalities Are Down
RedOrbit
High traffic fatalities fell to 32,367 in 2011, the lowest level since 1949 and a 1.9 percent decrease from the previous year, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reported on Monday. The detailed report shows the continuation of a historic ...

RedOrbit

No password is safe from this new 25-GPU computer cluster
CNET
The setup uses 25 AMD Radeon graphics cards and can make 350 billion guesses per second. All eight-character passwords fall in hours; some take only six minutes. Don Reisinger. by Don Reisinger. December 10, 2012 9:35 AM PST. Your really, really ...

Apps for Children Fall Short on Disclosure to Parents, Report Says
New York Times
Several hundred of the most popular educational and gaming mobile apps for children fail to give parents basic explanations about what kinds of personal information the apps collect from children, who can see that data and what they use it for, a new federal ...

Microsoft's Surface RT Is Still The Most Popular Windows 8 Device
Forbes
Data from AdDuplex, a third-party ad-servicing company used by many Windows 8 applications, suggests that with 6% of the requests, Microsoft's Surface with Windows RT (a Windows 8 variant) is still the most popular Windows 8 device. This has dropped...

Forbes

New South Park: The Stick Of Truth trailer revealed
Ubergizmo
Fans of the South Park animation have probably marked down on their calendars the 5th of March 2013, because for those who aren't aware, that is when Obsidian's South Park: The Stick of Truth RPG will be arriving for consoles. So far there has been one ...

AT&T Continues to Roll Out 4G LTE to More Cities
eWeek
Grand Rapids, Mich., Nashua, N.H., and Wilkes-Barre, Pa., are among the latest communities to get AT&T's 4G LTE service. AT&T has added four more towns in the United States to its growing list of communities that now feature high-speed 4G LTE wireless ...

eWeek

Malibu residents move whale carcass, ignoring red tape
Los Angeles Times
For days, a whale was left decaying -- and smelling -- on a Malibu beach as government officials debated what to do. On Saturday night, the rotting carcass of a 40-foot fin whale was quietly pulled out to sea by a private tugboat hired by Malibu residents who ...

iPad mini ad impressions growing 28% per day, outperforms last year's Kindle Fire
Apple Insider
A month after hitting store shelves, Apple's iPad mini is showing 28 percent growth in ad impressions per day, beating the performance of last year's hot-selling Amazon Kindle Fire, says one mobile advertising firm. iPad mini. In a study tracking device ...

Apple Insider

Iran Launches Its Own Hyper-Censored YouTube
Mashable
Early last year, reports appeared that Iran intended to build a “halal Internet,” using the Muslim term for what is morally “permissible.” In October, concrete evidence of this shadow Internet began showing up, with secondary IP addresses being assigned to a ...

Arduino announces ready-to-play Esplora
The H
Arduino, the company behind the open source hardware platform of the same name, has announced a new circuit board based on the Arduino Leonardo. Called the Arduino Esplora, the board is the first Arduino product to include ready-to-use onboard ...

QWERTY BlackBerry 10 Handset May Launch in June
Tom's Hardware Guide
Research firm Detwiler Fenton has said in a research note that RIM's first QWERTY BlackBerry 10 smartphone will launch in June. The first touch-screen BlackBerry 10 phone won't launch in the U.S. until March, it added. "RIM's stock has been on a tear ...

Huawei Technology Expands R&D As New Center Opens In Finland
ValueWalk
Huawei Technology announced Monday that it planned to open a research and development centre for smartphone and tablet software in Finland, neighboring its rival Nokia. Tweet · Huawei Technology Co Ltd (SHE:002502), a Chinese telecommunications ...

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