Biggest Threats to the Internet

So long to net neutrality and internet freedom?

Paul Saffo, managing director at Discern Analytics, said: "The pressures to balkanize the global Internet will continue and create new uncertainties. Government will become more skilled at blocking access to unwelcome sites." (source infra)
Researchers asked 1,400 experts to describe the biggest threats to the Web. Here’s what they said. - The Washington Post: "..."It is very possible we will see the principle of net neutrality undermined," said P.J. Rey, a PhD candidate in sociology at the University of Maryland. "In a political paradigm where money equals political speech so much hinges on how much ISPs and content providers are willing and able to spend on defending their competing interests. Unfortunately, the interests of everyday users count for very little.""

Microsoft slates critical IE, Windows patches for Tuesday
Computerworld
Computerworld - Microsoft today said it will ship six security updates to customers next week, patching all versions of Internet Explorer (IE) and nearly ...

Facebook experiment becomes a debate over power and consent
Los Angeles Times
When Facebook performed an experiment to see if it could secretly affect users' emotions, were you really surprised? Academics were galled ...

Google reverses decision to delete British newspaper links
Chicago Tribune
(Reuters) - Google Inc on Thursday reversed its decision to remove several links to stories in ... It was unclear who asked Google to remove the stories.

Facebook may not have obtained 'informed consent,' scientific journal says
San Jose Mercury News
Facebook confronted more criticism Thursday as the editor of a scientific journal issued a statement suggesting the company failed to obtain "informed ...

Apple poaches another luxury executive as iWatch nears
Chicago Tribune
It is in a race against Samsung Electronics and Google to turn computers into wearable fashion and must-have items as smartphones, increasingly ...

Microsoft Taxes Said to Face Scrutiny as EU Quizzes Luxembourg
Businessweek
Amazon.com Inc.'s tax affairs there are also being looked at, the Financial ... The EU's investigations of Apple, Starbucks and Fiat Finance focus on ...

Microsoft fitness band rumour: Another way to sell services to Android users?
ZDNet
According to a report by Microsoft watcher Paul Thurrott, this autumn the company will ... It's not surprising that Microsoft is looking at the wearables market — Google has certainly been ... And, of course, Apple is still yet to release anything you can wear on your wrist (well, not since .... Facebook Activity ...

Facebook To Improve Video Ads Through LiveRail Acquisition
Forbes
Facebook has announced that it has acquired San Francisco, California-based online video advertising company LiveRail. LiveRail offers premium ...

Google's embattled Webspam Chief Matt Cutts is taking a 'few months' off
ZDNet
After 15 years as head of the webspam team at Google, Matt Cutts says he is taking a long break, to spend more time with his wife and family.

Apple is looking for an 'iCup Technician' to keep its workforce caffeinated
San Jose Mercury News
One of the benefits of working at Apple, it appears, is easy access to a strong cup of joe from its in-house brew team. But what sort of perks do those ...

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

Follow @expricom

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...

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

Follow @expricom

Is the Amazon Fire smartphone a threat to Apple, Samsung? (video)

Is Amazon's Fire Phone a Threat to Apple, Samsung?: Video - Bloomberg:
(Allow video to load after clicking play)
Amazon.com jumped into the smartphone market with a handset called Fire Phone that is closely tied to the Web retailer’s other services, ramping up competition with Apple and Samsung Electronics. Brad Stone takes a look at the new phone on Bloomberg Television's "Street Smart." (Source: Bloomberg June 18)

Why iPhone 6 Won't Reverse Apple's Market Share Decline - Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) | Seeking Alpha: "When iPhone 6 arrives this Fall, it will only briefly arrest Apple's smart phone market share decline. This decline speaks to the increasing competition that Apple's iPhone faces rather than the inherent worth of iPhone 6...."

Amazon Fire: Pros and cons of new ground breaking smartphone
Detroit Free Press
Apple is very stingy and offers little cost-free space (just 5 GBs for free iCloud) ... There's no reason why Apple and Samsung, and to a smaller extent, Microsoft, should ... Why could Google sell a new Nexus phone last year for just over $300, yet Amazon .... Twitter · Facebook · Mobile · RSS · E-mail Alerts.

Facebook Ads and Tracking: What You Need To Know
CIO Today
If you use Facebook, the specific ads you see have been based mostly on what ...Google, Facebook and Yahoo -- among the largest hubs for online ...

Apple's smartwatch reportedly launching this fall
USA TODAY
Apple appears poised to jump into the smartwatch market this fall. According to ... Later this year, Google enters the space with its line of Android Wear ...

Facebook, Twitter, Google score during World Cup
Bryan-College Station Eagle
NEW YORK (AP) — Twitter and Facebook lit up in a World Cup frenzy this ... Google, meanwhile, tracked more than 641 million World Cup-related ...

Apple blurs line between Mac, iOS platforms and that's OK
The Seattle Times
Apple is bringing the OSX and iOS platforms a bit closer to each other in their ... (and not reflexively open a Web browser to perform Google searches).

Cutting the Cord: Aereo decision could be turning point
USA TODAY
Either way the decision goes, the Supreme Court's ruling on the legality of the Aereo streaming service could drive more people to cut the cord. The court is expected to rule before the end of the month — and as early as Monday — on whether Aereo is ...

SpaceX launch delayed again, this time because of weather
Reuters
CAPE CANAVERAL Fla (Reuters) - Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, on Saturday delayed the planned launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying six communications satellites after cloudy skies socked in its Florida launch site. The privately owned ...

Apple to partner with Kobe Bryant and others to test IWatch
Atlanta Journal Constitution
9to5Mac reports sources familiar with the matter say Apple is teaming up with professional athletes to test the iWatch "in intenest training environments." The outlet names pro athletes such as Lakers player Kobe Bryant and Kings player Dustin Brown. They, of ...

Power of Microsoft's Bing an open question in search industry
DAWN.com
SEATTLE: Microsoft Corp's new chief executive, Satya Nadella, likes to boast that Bing is growing and powers 30 per cent of the Internet search market, making it a worthy competitor to Google Inc. But within the advertising and research industries that ...

Video game athletes battling it out in California
San Jose Mercury News
ANAHEIM (AP) -- The nation's video game athletes have gathered in Southern California to battle aliens and bad guys. The Orange County Register said more than 1,000 eSports players are taking part in the Major League Gaming Championships in ...

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

Follow @expricom

Why More People Aren't Signing Up for Twitter? (video)

(Allow video to load after clicking play)
Why Aren't More People Signing Up for Twitter?: Video - Bloomberg: "RBC Capital Markets' Mark Mahaney, Telsey Advisory Group's Thomas Forte and Bloomberg's Jon Erlichman discuss Twitter's stalling growth with Trish Regan on Bloomberg Television's 'Street Smart.'" (Source: Bloomberg June 12)

Will Facebook users just say no to targeted ads?
USA TODAY
Will users be open to sharing even more information with Facebook or will ... ​Facebookhas been able to target ads based on its users' interests for years. ... For Android users, go to Google Settings>Ads>Opt Out of Interest-Based ...

Google Glass moves into the hospital at Beth Israel
Boston Globe
Wearable computers may become routine in the future, but emergency department doctors already use Google Glass spectacles to gain fast, ...

Facebook Lifts Ban on Exposed Nipples in Breastfeeding Pictures
TIME
It does not apply to other images of female nipples. It appears Facebook has withdrawn its ban on female nipples in photos of breastfeeding mothers.

Facebook Fends off Patent Claims Over Van Der Meer Site
Bloomberg
Facebook Inc. (FB), the world's biggest social network, won a trial in which it was accused of infringing patents for a “Web page diary” invented by a ...

Ex-Microsoft employee who leaked Windows secrets to be deported to Russia
Computerworld
Computerworld - A former Microsoft employee charged in March with leaking Windows updates and software that validates product key codes was ...

Amazon says the Mayday button on its Fire HDX is a hit
Computerworld
Computerworld - Amazon bragged Friday that its Mayday tech support button on the Fire HDX tablet has become the most popular way to get 24/7 ...

Facebook Messenger adds Big Likes and video messages
CNET
Log In to CNET; Sign In with Facebook Google Yahoo; Join CNET ... The latestFacebook Messenger update lets you "Like" things even more ... In its latest update,Facebook Messenger allows you to mark your enjoyment ... and apps built into phones such as Apple's iMessage and Samsung's ChatOn.

Apple recalls 'overheating' older European power adapter
CNET
An adapter sold with older models of the iPhone could overheat, says Apple, so you can swap it for a redesigned version. by Rich Trenholm.

Facebook, Google, Twitter, Apple, Amazon busy in Boston
Boston Globe
With Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif., Google's in nearby Mountain View, Apple's inland in Cupertino, and Twitter's up the coast in San ...

Amazon's New Music Streaming Service Not Exactly Ready For 'Prime' Time
Forbes
Spotify and Beats Music (now a part of the Apple family, as it was part of the over $3 billion deal that was just finally made public) both offer their users ...

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

Follow @expricom

Former FCC Chairman on Net Neutrality (Video); Chrome Browser now #1!

Former FCC Chairman Weighs in on Net Neutrality: Video - Bloomberg:
(Allow video to load after clicking play)
Former FCC Chairman Reed Hundt discusses the debate over the FCC's net neutrality proposal with Cory Johnson on Bloomberg Television's "Bloomberg West." (Source: Bloomberg 4 June 2014) (More Net Neutrality news below)

Google unseats Microsoft as the US browser powerhouse
Computerworld
According to the Adobe Digital Index (ADI), a measurement of browser usage based on tracking visits to the average U.S. website, Google's desktop and mobile browsers -- Chrome on both platforms, the aging Android browser on the latter only -- slipped past Microsoft's Internet Explorer (IE), which retained its premier position on the desktop but had little to show for its effort on smartphones. ...

Your Google searches may help decide your Facebook ads
Sydney Morning Herald
That's thanks to ad technology created by Facebook ad partner Kenshoo Social. ... newssource covering digital culture, social media and technology.

More Net Neutrality news:

Biz Break: Netflix, Verizon net neutrality battle gets real [San Jose Mercury News :: ]
Businessweek
June 05--Today: Netflix and Verizon publicly beef about broadband speeds and net neutrality. Also: Google gains as browser, mobile search market ...

Viral Video: John Oliver on net neutrality
The Star-Ledger
His meditation on net neutrality Sunday was no exception. A clip from the show, his plea for internet troll-dom to move in the direction of something ...

John Oliver's Hilarious Net Neutrality Piece Speaks the Truth And nothing but.
Slate Magazine
Last Sunday, on John Oliver's new HBO show Last Week Tonight, the former Daily Show fixture introduced net neutrality to millions of Americans in a ...

Netflix, Verizon, and Net Neutrality: the Ongoing Saga
The Mac Observer
Verizon and Netflix Netflix and Verizon are fighting over Verizon's right to throttle traffic, Netflix's right to have its data delivered to customers, and ...

Are Cable Companies Faking the Support for Ending Net Neutrality?
In The Capital
The debate over net neutrality is only getting hotter this summer, with fiery support on both sides, or so it seems. According to a report in Vice however, ...

Q&A: Will the FCC Read My Net Neutrality Comment?
Wall Street Journal (blog)
The FCC is currently taking comments on what's become known as net neutrality, amassing more than 60,000 at last count. The proposal would ban ...

Public Piles on Net Neutrality Debate
Black Press USA
Non-profit organizers and community members in New Mexico demonstrate for net neutrality. Photo by Matt Stoller, under Creative Commons license.

Here are all the shady 'consumer groups' trying to convince you net neutrality is bad
BGR
Take Broadband for America, for instance, the anti-net neutrality organization whose public faces are former Republican Senator John Sununu and ...

After John Oliver's net neutrality rant: 22000 comments and site overload
Christian Science Monitor
After John Oliver's net neutrality rant: 22,000 comments and site overload. About video ads. Most viewed. Stephen Colbert has some choice words for ...

Consumers oppose effort to wreck net neutrality
Times of India
NEW DELHI: A recent proposal by telecom operators, seeking to monetize internet services on mobiles, has set off alarm bells among open internet ...

Cable companies are reportedly funding fake consumer groups to attack net neutrality - Engadget
By Daniel Cooper
The public wants net neutrality so badly that it broke the FCC's website. But can the weighty voice of the people combat well-funded astroturfing?
Engadget RSS Feed

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

Follow @expricom

Facebook Ads Annoying?

Apparently so --

Facebook Admits Its Ads Are Too Annoying | MIT Technology Review
Facebook says its ad targeting technology has irked its users and will be upgraded....
Web - MIT Technology Review

Google Faces Fine for Not Complying With French Privacy Demands
Bloomberg
Google Inc. (GOOG) faces a fine for failing to make changes to its privacy... Google informed France's data-privacy regulator that it contested findings that its ...

IBNLive

Microsoft received 37000 end-user data requests in first half of year
PCWorld
Judges and police investigators are on track to submit about the same number of requests to Microsoft for end user data this year as they did in 2012, according ...

ZDNet

Apple maps route to AK airport runway reactivated
Boston.com
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — To the chagrin and worry of Alaska transportation officials, Apple reactivated maps app directions Friday that guide drivers to the ...

Alaska Dispatch

Martha Stewart Slams Apple Customer Service in Twitter Rant ...
E! Online
No action yey," she added. "Maybe I have had a good entrepreneurial idea? Apple Now? Like same day delivery from Amazon? I think I am on to something....

CIO Today

Apple Fixes iOS 7 Bug; Google Revamps Search; Gates Calls Ctrl+ ...
PC Magazine
Apple Fixes iOS 7 Bug; Google Revamps Search; Gates Calls Ctrl+Alt+Del a 'Mistake' ... to the forefront of the candidates to become the new CEO of Microsoft....

WPTV

What Google's Calico Means For Healthcare
InformationWeek
With CEO Larry Page's announcement last week that Google will be investing in Calico, a healthcare company, came a flurry of speculation from every corner of ...

Amazon, Apple face more international taxes in Europe
USA TODAY
Such as the "data tax" on Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google, about to be proposed by ...MICROSOFT: Microsoft's Surface Pro 2: So Right, but So Wrong....

Apple iPhone 5s carries US$199 BOM and manufacturing cost, IHS ...
HispanicBusiness.com
Apple's new flagship product- the iPhone 5s- features some cutting-edge ... "In addition, it is very interesting to see that Apple continues to collaborate closely ...

Google's five weirdest projects from its first 15 years
Christian Science Monitor
The Google doodle Friday depicts a bunch of letters cluttered around a birthday ... The game, of course, is a kind of birthday party for Google, which turns the ripe ...

Christian Science Monitor

Google at 15: Hiring Marissa Mayer, Employee #20
Bloomberg
Sept. 27 (Bloomberg) -- Heather Cairns, Google's fourth employee and Ben Legg, CEO at Adknowledge and former COO of Google Europe recall the hiring of ...

Apple Patent Tips System for Autographing E-Books | News & Opinion | PCMag.com: "The patent focuses primarily on e-books, but also notes that Apple's technology could be used in other digital formats, like music albums, movies, and applications. Additionally, the "autograph" can extend beyond a signature to include text, audio clips, images, photo albums, videos, or other media."

How is technology revolutionizing health care? — Tech News and ...
By GigaOM
Health tech innovation will take center stage in New York City this Nov. 14 and 15 at the New York eHealth Collaborative's Digital Health Conference as a who's who of New York's health IT ecosystem gather to network and discuss health ...
GigaOM

From TEDxToronto to the trenches, a glimpse of technology's future ...
By Daniel Bader
A thousand or so delegates, and a few lucky media folk, packed themselves into a comfortable, soporific theatre in downtown Toronto yesterday to hear a.
MobileSyrup.com

Valve reveals the hackable, touch-enabled Steam Controller - Gizmag
By Jonathan Fincher
Jonathan grew up in Norway, China, and Trinidad before graduating film school and becoming an online writer covering green technology, history and design, as well as contributing to video game news sites like Filefront and 1Up.
Gizmag Emerging Technology Magazine

Linn Introduces New Technology with Exakt Loudspeaker
By HomeTheaterReview.com
Linn has introduced a brand new technology that the company is implementing in the company's Klimax speakers. The new Exakt technology moves the source inside the speaker itself.
HomeTheaterReview.com

Apple's advanced fingerprint technology is hacked; should you ...
Less than 48 hours after the iPhone 5s went on sale, a group of German hackers claimed to have lifted a fingerprint and created a fake finger that could spoof ...
www.zdnet.com/apples-advanced-fingerprint-technology-is-ha...

North Korea 'has technology to build uranium-based nuclear bombs ...
Pyongyang thought to be mastering production of components for gas centrifuges needed to make such bombs, say experts.
www.theguardian.com/.../north-korea-uranium-based-nuclear-...

Book News: Apple Seeks Patent For Digital Book-Signing Technology
Also: University of Toronto faculty members disown David Gilmour; a new poem by Helen Mort; Teju Cole remembers Ghanaian poet Kofi Awoonor.
www.npr.org/.../book-news-apple-files-patent-for-digital-book...

Technology in the America's Cup: Against all odds | The Economist
BY SOME measure, it was the most spectacular match-sailing series ever and one of the greatest sporting comebacks in history. Down by 8-1 a week earlier ...
www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/.../technology-americas-c...

Stanford engineers build computer using carbon nanotube technology
A team of Stanford engineers has built a basic computer using carbon nanotubes , a semiconductor material that has the potential to launch a new generation of ...
phys.org/.../2013-09-stanford-carbon-nanotube-technology.ht...

more technology news below

Follow @expricom

90% Of Facebook Ad Clicks Are From Bots?

Why Do Some Advertisers Believe That 90% Of Facebook Ad Clicks Are From Bots?
Forbes
team passionately cares about their users' experience and the care and feeding of their advertising clients. at any given point, we have a lot of different tests, different algorithms running, and we measure engagement of everything downstream from ... 

Hulu Plus Pushes Apple TV to Higher Levels of Cord-Cutting
Wired News
By Roberto Baldwin Apple TV could be getting more app love from content providers. Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired Apple TV owners woke up to a surprise this morning: Hulu Plus is now built in. The streaming TV and movie service shows up as an additional ...

Apple-Samsung Patent Trial Begins
Wall Street Journal
SAN JOSE, Calif.—Lawyers for Apple Inc. began their opening statements in the company's patent trial with Samsung Electronics Co. by arguing the Korean company blatantly knocked-off the iPhone and portraying the smartphone as a revolutionary and risky ...

Journalist's Twitter Account Restored Amidst Olympics Controversy
PC Magazine
By Chloe Albanesius Twitter today restored the account of journalist Guy Adams, who had his feed suspended on Sunday for tweeting the email address of an NBC Sports executive. "Oh. My Twitter account appears to have been un-suspended.

Google Acquires Wildfire Interactive, a Social-Media Ad Firm
Wall Street Journal
By AMIR EFRATI Google Inc. on Tuesday said it acquired Wildfire Interactive Inc., which helps businesses place ads on social-media sites like Facebook Inc.'s Terms of the deal weren't disclosed, but a person with direct knowledge of the transaction ...

Amazon Expands Cloud Music After Deals With Top Four US Labels
Businessweek
By Danielle Kucera on July 31, 2012 Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN) (AMZN) has reached licensing deals with the four major US record companies for a music service that lets users store songs remotely and play them online, competing with Apple Inc.'s iTunes.

Apple nearly scrapped iPhone "multiple times" says designer Sir Jonathan Ive
Apple Insider
By Daniel Eran Dilger Apple's head designer Sir Jonathan Ive has related the the company almost gave up on its design for iPhone "multiple times" after running into seemingly insurmountable technical challenges. Speaking at a British Business ...

Microsoft announces new email client, launches Outlook.com preview
Los Angeles Times
Microsoft introduced a new email client Tuesday called Outlook.com, a personal version of its already widely used brand. Outlook.com is Microsoft's latest stab at an email service and essentially replaces Hotmail as the company's primary email service.

Final Fantasy III Coming to Ouya Android Console
PC Magazine
By Stephanie Mlot Final Fantasy III will be a launch title for the Android-based Ouya game console, the company and game maker Square Enix confirmed today. Square Enix said that its popular game will be available on the Ouya at launch, scheduled for ...

Computer glitch may be to blame for Six Flags coaster mishap
Los Angeles Times
A roller coaster that stopped mid-ride over the weekend -- stranding passengers at the top -- remains grounded as state officials complete a safety inspection. Superman: Ultimate Flight at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom in Vallejo suddenly stopped on ...

Safari 6 crashing in Mountain Lion
CNET
A rare combination of proxy settings and the popular password manager 1Password may result in Safari crashing. by Topher Kessler Some Mac users who have upgraded to OS X 10.8 have found that Apple's Safari Web browser is crashing.

Pantech MARAUDER heads to Verizon with 4G LTE on the cheap
SlashGear
Making that jump from an old-fashioned feature phone to a smartphone can be pretty intimidating for a lot of consumers, and Verizon and Pantech are looking to do something about that with the new MARAUDER. Not only is the MARAUDER inexpensive, ...

SlashGear

Ubisoft Patches uPlay Browser Plug-In Backdoor Flaw
Tom's Guide
Bringing up Ubisoft's always-online DRM through uPlay is sure to elicit groans of annoyance and protest from any PC gamer. The latest issue with uPlay is only sure to aggravate them even further. Google information security engineer Tavis Ormandy ...

Gmail Chat Users Gain Improved Video Chat With Google+ Hangouts
eWeek
In the past, users of Gmail Chat could only have a video chat with one person at a time. Now Google has expanded Gmail Chat to allow video participation by up to nine people simultaneously if you participate through your free Google+ account.

Kirk and Crusher team up on Mars
TG Daily
NASA's Curiosity rover is scheduled to land on the surface of Mars at 1:31 AM EDT on August 6. The space agency has kicked off a massive campaign to generate public interest in the mission, tweeting updates and posting a number of video outlining ...

Spotify doubles number of paying users
Financial Times
By Tim Bradshaw in San Francisco Spotify, the digital music service, has more than doubled its subscriber base a year after launching in the US, the world's largest music market. Ken Parks, Spotify's chief content officer, said on Tuesday that it now ...

Scientist's cameras find 5 flags on moon
USA TODAY
For years, scientists and space buffs have wondered what happened to the six American flags planted on the moon during the historic Apollo missions. Now, thanks to high-resolution cameras orbiting the moon, the mystery is solved: All the flags but one ...

USA TODAY

Giant Human Statue Discovered in Turkey Dates Back to 1000 B.C.
Slate Magazine (blog)
By Slate V Staff MySlate is a new tool that let's you track your favorite parts Slate. You can follow authors and sections, track comment threads you're interested in, and more. Archeologists in the southeast region unearthed the colossal head and ...

Slate Magazine (blog)

Drought, Ethanol Big Part of July's Spike in Gas Prices
Wall Street Journal
US drivers saw prices at the pump rise 5.1% in July, the largest increase for the month in more than a dozen years. On top of oil speculators and geopolitical tensions, ethanol also played a role this time. According to AAA, national average gasoline ...

Google Now revisited: One month with Android's new secret weapon
Computerworld (blog)
By JR Raphael One of the most interesting features in Google's Android 4.1 Jelly Bean release is one you might not even notice right away. It's called Google Now, and it's poised to show off the power of what a Google-made platform can do.

Computerworld (blog)

iPad Mini: What We Know So Far
PCWorld (blog)
By Daniel Ionescu, PCWorld Jul 31, 2012 10:47 AM Mockups of the new iPhone and iPad Mini. (Courtesy of John Anastasiadis) Apple is set to unveil a new iPhone and possibly a new smaller iPad on Sept. 12, according to pundits.

Google Asked for Street View Data by French Privacy Agency
Businessweek
By Heather Smith on July 31, 2012 Google Inc. (GOOG) (GOOG) was asked to provide France's data-protection authority with information gathered through its Street View service, which it should have deleted after a 2011 fine. The request came four days ...

NYC subway alerts now on Google Maps
Newsday
Region/State Newsday > News Print Aa NYC subway alerts now on Google Maps Published: July 31, 2012 1:54 PM By The Associated Press (AP) -- Google Maps is now offering advisories for the New York City subway system. The goal is to help riders to plan ...

'Earliest' evidence of modern human culture found
BBC News
By Nick Crumpton BBC News The earliest unambiguous evidence for modern human behaviour has been discovered by an international team of researchers in a South African cave. The finds provide early evidence for the origin of modern human behaviour 44000 ...

BBC News

Mayday, mayday: Apple's latest ad campaign faces groans from all sides
Ars Technica
Apple's latest ads may not be the best, but they're probably not the worst. by Jacqui Cheng - Jul 31, 2012 4:50 pm UTC I like Ellen Feiss, but some would argue that her era yielded some of the most cringe-worthy Apple ads. Apple's advertising campaigns ...

Texting while walking at your own risk
The Daily Iberian
It's ignoring a bit of common sense your mom told you as a kid, “Watch where you're going!” An Associated Press story this week, however, said that people out there who are texting while walking, are putting themselves in dangerous situations, ...

Legend of Zelda prototype cartridge goes to auction: $150000 proves your ...
Engadget
By Jon Fingas posted Jul 31st 2012 2:03PM And you thought that Nintendo World Championships gold cartridge would make a nice start to the retirement fund. An eBay auction from tjcurtin1 is offering a prototype NES cartridge for the US release of The ...

Def Con and Black Hat: A tale of two security conferences (in pictures)
VentureBeat
Def Con and Black Hat, while both security conferences held together in Las Vegas, are two very different beasts. One attracts the corporate security type, another the hacker underbelly. Black Hat could almost be described as mellow in comparison to ...

VentureBeat

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display Review
TechSpot
By Shawn Knight on July 31, 2012 Apple's coveted Retina display has finally found its way to a full-size notebook courtesy of the latest MacBook Pro. But anyone familiar with this new system knows that Apple didn't simply add a higher resolution ...

Follow @expricom