Access to Google services in China returns

Not much internet freedom in China --

Access to Google services within China returns | Reuters: "Users in China were able to access online services for Google Inc on Thursday, after more than a month of severe disruption that almost completely blocked people from using features such as its search, maps and e-mail functions. The Google disruption began in the run-up to the 25th anniversary of the government's bloody crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators around Beijing's Tiananmen Square. China maintains tight control over the Internet, nipping in the bud any signs of dissent or challenges to the ruling Communist Party's leadership...."

Google Cloud Platform Blog: Welcome Microsoft, RedHat, IBM, Docker and more to the Kubernetes community: "Kubernetes is an open source manager for Docker containers, based on Google’s years of experience using containers at Internet scale. Today, Microsoft, RedHat, IBM, Docker, Mesosphere, CoreOS and SaltStack are joining the Kubernetes community and will actively contribute to the project. Each company brings unique strengths, and together we will ensure that Kubernetes is a strong and open container management framework for any application and in any environment - whether in a private, public or hybrid cloud. Our shared goal is to allow a broad range of developers to take advantage of container technologies. Kubernetes was built from the ground up as a lean, extensible and portable framework for managing Docker workloads. It lets customers manage their applications the way that Google manages hyper-scale applications like Search and Gmail. Containers offer tremendous advantages for developers. Predictable deployments and simple scalability are possible because Docker packages all of a workload’s dependencies with the application. This allows for ultimate portability; you can avoid vendor lock-in and run containers in the cloud of your choice. It is just as important that the management framework has the same properties of portability and scalability, and that is what the community will bring to Kubernetes...."

Aereo Lays Out New Survival Strategy in Letter to Judge - Hollywood Reporter: "... Aereo reports that it is proceeding to file the necessary statements of account and royalty fees, and asserts that the Supreme Court's decision has overruled the 2nd Circuit decision in Ivi, which concerned a predecessor digital TV transmitter that once attempted to gain legitimacy through the paying of compulsory license fees. Even if the judge doesn't accept the argument, Aereo says there are still issues to be addressed about the "scope" of any preliminary injunction...."

Google Chrome Blog: Mirror Your Android Screen to the TV with Chromecast: "Chromecast makes it easy for you to enjoy your favorite entertainment on the biggest screen in the house. Starting today, you can mirror your Android phone and tablet to the TV so you can see your favorite apps, photos or anything else, exactly as you see it on your mobile device—only bigger. To start mirroring, simply select “Cast Screen” from the navigation drawer in the Chromecast app and select your Chromecast device.  On Nexus devices, this feature is also available through the quick settings menu. Now, anything on your Android device will appear on the TV. You can share photos stored on your phone with a group of friends, or scope out the scenery for your next family vacation together on the big screen using Google Earth...."

Cast your Android screen from the Chromecast App -  Current Devices "Nexus 4 Nexus 5 Nexus 7 (2013) Nexus 10 Samsung Galaxy S4 Samsung Galaxy S4 (Google Play Edition) Samsung Galaxy S5 Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Samsung Galaxy Note 10 HTC One M7 HTC One M7 (Google Play Edition) LG G3 LG G2 LG G Pro 2 Support for additional devices coming soon"

Amazon allowed kids to spend millions on in-app purchases, FTC says
PCWorld
This week, Politico reported that Apple has complained to the FTC that Google allows the same kinds of in-app purchases in its mobile app store.

Google executive's November death on Santa Cruz yacht turns torrid with prostitute's arrest
San Jose Mercury News
The victim: Forrest Timothy Hayes, a 51-year-old who was on the Google team ... In Facebook posts and pictures on a page that disappeared around noon ... Google andApple representatives declined to discuss Hayes' tenure or ...

Google's Venture Capital Arm Adds $100 Million European Fund
Bloomberg
Google provides funds to the ventures arm, which makes strategic ... Facebook Inc. this year agreed to spend $19 billion for messaging startup ...

Apple Secures EU Trademark for Store Layouts
Wall Street Journal
Apple Inc. has secured an EU court ruling to register the layout of its shops--like its new flagship store opened in Madrid, Spain, last month--as a ...

Microsoft CEO backs Xbox in employee memo
USA TODAY
Microsoft chief Satya Nadella says the company will "continue to grow and innovate" with their Xbox video game brand, brushing off speculation that ...

Yahoo plan for Alibaba cash draws attention
MarketWatch
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Yahoo Inc. will kick off the tech earnings ... “We will be listening closely for how Yahoo thinks about using its Alibaba ...

Microsoft Enhances Azure, Office 365
InformationWeek
Microsoft sets the tone for its Worldwide Partner Conference with new Office 365 plans, ...Microsoft announced a raft of enhancements Wednesday to its cloud ... with those ofAmazon and other cloud competitors, and how well Microsoft ... I'm sure Apple will come up with something better for their users.

Apple's CarPlay to dominate infotainment systems, will be in 24M cars by 2019
Computerworld
Computerworld - In just five years, Apple's CarPlay API for iPhone integration ... Earlier this year, Google announced it would start an Open Automotive ...

Amazon Web Services Launches New Capabilities for Mobile Developers
MarketWatch
Amazon Cognito is a new service that provides simple user identity and data ... unauthenticated guests and then sign in with Amazon, Facebook, or Google. ... send notifications to Apple iOS, Google Android, and Kindle Fire devices.

Apple Plans All-Glass iPhone In Radical Design Shift
Forbes
It has long been an industry joke that the ultimate Apple Apple design would simply be a piece of glass. Well such teasing may not be far off the mark ...

Apple brings iTunes Extras to Apple TV, HD Extras to Macs today & iOS 8 in fall | 9to5Mac
By Jordan Kahn
While we'll have to wait for iTunes Extras to arrive on iOS with the release of iOS 8 this fall, the Apple TV OS 6.2 update rolled out late last month to ...

Satya Nadella Says Changes Are Coming to Microsoft - NYTimes.com
By By NICK WINGFIELD
An essay sent to Microsoft employees by the company's chief executive appears to ... Satya Nadella's essay, sent by email to Microsoft employees, said the company would " ...
Bits

FTC: Amazon Billed Parents Millions for Kids' Unauthorized App Buys - Gizmodo
By Kate Knibbs
The Federal Trade Commission has filed a lawsuit against Amazon demanding ... Earlier this year, Apple settled a similar complaint for $32.5 million.
Gizmodo

Facebook Is Studying Your Mom, Your Makeout Buddy, and Your 9/11 Conspiracy Theories ...
By Dana Liebelson
Facebook users and privacy advocates erupted in anger recently after New ... Although it's unlikely Facebook users have heard about most of these studies .... in with Facebook, Twitter, Google, Yahoo, Disqus, or OpenID to comment.
Culture | Mother Jones

RUMOR: Apple Put In A Gigantic Order For The iPhone 6 - Business Insider
By Jay Yarow
Taiwan's “Business Weekly” is reporting that Apple told suppliers to make 68 million ... Login With Facebook Login With Twitter Login With Google.
Business Insider

Regulators sue Amazon on billing practices for in-app purchases | SiliconBeat
By Michelle Quinn
The FTC settled with Apple in January on the same issue. ... opportunity to point regulators to an article about Google's own practices, as I wrote about ...

Google Maps goes to Angkor Wat, Cambodia - AMERICAblog
By John Aravosis
Google takes you on a journey to the historic temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia. How cool is that?
AMERICAblog News

Space Probe Might Lack Nitrogen to Push It Home - NYTimes.com: ".... On Wednesday, the team tried firings with different permutations of tanks, valves and thrusters. None worked, leading the engineers to suspect that the problem was not mechanical, but empty tanks. The nitrogen is used to squeeze the fuel, hydrazine, to the thrusters. “Without that, you don’t have a rocket,” Mr. Cowing said. There is a small chance that ISEE-3 is on course to slam into the moon on Aug. 10. A communication session on Friday will help determine its path. If it misses the moon, it will again wander in a looping orbit around the sun. “I’m going to wave to it as it goes by,” said Robert W. Farquhar, who was the spacecraft’s project scientist when ISEE-3 launched and who came up with the idea of sending it to visit a comet. Even though they might not be able to capture the spacecraft, Mr. Cowing said they were devising an alternative in which ISEE-3 would collect scientific data and send it back to Earth. “There’s a Plan B,” he said. “We’re going to listen to the spacecraft as long as it talks.”"

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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 ...

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FCC Proposal to Destroy Net Neutrality

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler (appointed by Barack Obama) obviously cares nothing about the public interest, net neutrality, an open internet or internet freedom. He is only serving his masters in the communications industry (ISPs) and and their lobbyists! This is the worst public policy to come out of Washington DC in years!

FCC proposal would destroy net neutrality | The Verge: "....The goal of net neutrality rules is to prevent service providers from discriminating between different content, allowing all types of data and all companies' data to be treated equally. While it appears that outright blocking of individual services won't be allowed, the Journal reports that some forms of discrimination will be allowed, though that will apparently not include slowing down websites. Nonetheless, allowing some websites to pay for preferentially treatment would inherently favor larger, more successful companies. A MAJOR CHANGE TO THE MEANING OF "OPEN INTERNET" The actual draft of the proposed rules has not yet been released, but the FCC did release a framework of the rules back in February. These proposed changes, however, are a large departure from the original Open Internet rules as well as what was shown earlier this year...."

F.C.C., in ‘Net Neutrality’ Turnaround, Plans to Allow Fast Lane - NYTimes.com:  " . . . The proposed rules are a complete turnaround for the F.C.C. on the subject of so-called net neutrality, the principle that Internet users should have equal ability to see any content they choose, and that no content providers should be discriminated against in providing their offerings to consumers....The new proposals, drafted by the F.C.C.'s chairman, Tom Wheeler, and his staff, will be circulated to the other four commissioners beginning Thursday, an F.C.C. spokeswoman said. The details can be amended by consensus in order to attract support from a majority of the commissioners. The commission will then vote on a final proposal at its May 15 meeting."

Samsung Galaxy Series Riding High on Overall User Engagement, but lukewarm Response to its Content and App Strategy.: "...Bonny Joy, Chief, Consumer Telemetry Platforms, said:  “Clearly, Galaxy Sx series have succeeded in creating more engagement by growing the overall pie, but its own content and media strategy is faring low at the moment. Galaxy S5 is a step-upgrade from the Galaxy S4, but as far as content and media is concerned, little has changed to draw consumer attention to its latest launch.”..."

Megaupload seeks return of millions in frozen Hong Kong assets ( - Legal - Security ): "...The company's assets were frozen by Hong Kong at the request of the U.S. Department of Justice around January 2012 after its operators, including founder Kim Dotcom, were indicted by U.S. prosecutors for allegedly profiting from large-scale copyright infringement. On Wednesday, the High Court ordered Hong Kong's Department of Justice to respond to Megaupload's filing by June 4...."

Amazon's Prime Pantry service lets you ship 45 pounds of groceries for a $6 fee
By Sarah Silbert
Amazon's dead-set on killing off the grocery store, with a same-day delivery service and even a Dash gadget for restocking items around the house.
Engadget RSS Feed

Why Apple Can't Quit Steve Jobs
ABC News
Despite Steve Jobs' advice to never think about what he would do, the ghost of the visionary founder still rules at Apple two and a half years after his ...

Microsoft Earnings: 6 Questions
InformationWeek
Microsoft has been on fire lately, but new CEO Satya Nadella will face ... has turned a skeptical eye this year toward Apple, Netflix, Google, Amazon, ...

Facebook Profit Tripled in First Quarter
New York Times
For the last two years, Facebook has been growing like a beanstalk in mobile advertising, gaining ground against Google, its chief rival. Credit Luong ...

Amazon snares classic shows in deal with HBO
Boston Globe
Starting May 21, Amazon Prime members — who pay $99 a year for ... other content to televisions, competing with the likes of Apple Inc. and Roku.

Microsoft's Bing goes ad-free for all US schools
Computerworld
Although Microsoft used the pilot launch last year to take shots at rival Google -- part of its then-running "Scroogled" attack ad campaign -- the ...

Google Street View Offers Time Travel
InformationWeek
Google Maps Street View gained a new feature on Wednesday: a way to travel through time. Street View has always offered time travel of a sort: Its ...

Google, Facebook and other tech companies race to develop artificial intelligence
San Jose Mercury News
Facebook, Google and other leading tech companies are jockeying to hire ... each works differently, Tempo is vying with Siri, Google Now and Microsoft's new Cortana. ... But there are signs Apple is working feverishly to improve it.

Google, SunPower unwrap solar-power deal
MarketWatch
SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) — Google Inc. on Wednesday said it has teamed up with SunPower Corp. for a big push to make solar power more ...

Heartbleed: why did a computer bug have a name and a logo?
The Guardian
The Heartbleed flaw is being fixed more quickly because of the decision to give the bug a memorable name and a cute logo, according to the firm that first identified it. The flaw was caused by a simple coding error which resulted in passwords and security ...

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Primary Video Source No Longer TV

A complete disintermediation in video viewing -- Losers: Live TV, television networks, local TV stations, cable TV operators. Winners: online video, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Daily Motion, Vimeo, etc. --

Off the Grid National Survey from Targeted_Victory

As viewing habits change, political campaigns must change their habits, as well - The Washington Post:

"....For the first time, fewer than half (48 percent) of [the 800 likely voters surveyed, 30% on cell phones] say that live TV is their primary source for watching video content. The second-most-preferred form for viewing is through recorded programming, but a majority said they skip 100 percent of the ads when they watch. ... Seventy percent of those surveyed said they had watched live television in the previous week. But fully 30 percent said that, other than live sporting events, they had watched no live television in the previous week. For younger voters, it's closer to 40 percent...Over time, this will require a substantial reorientation in thinking about how to allocate advertising dollars...."

Cameras on cops: Coming to a town near you: "Who watches the watchers? It's an age-old question, but police across the country may have a new answer. The Los Angeles Police Department is currently testing body-mounted cameras that record officers' interactions with citizens. The New York Police Department says it's reviewing the technology...."

The Future of Internet Freedom - NYTimes.com: ".... Much of the fight against censorship has been led by the activists of the Internet freedom movement. We can join this open source community, whether we are policy makers, corporations or individuals. Money, coding skills or government grants can all make a difference. Given the energies and opportunities out there, it’s possible to end repressive Internet censorship within a decade. If we want the next generation of users to be free, we don’t see any other option."

Google patches $310K worth of Chrome, Chrome OS bugs
Computerworld
While all four targeted browsers -- Chrome, Apple's Safari, Mozilla's Firefox andMicrosoft's Internet Explorer -- fell to researchers at the cash prize contest, Google's was the only one to have fixed flaws as of Sunday. Four vulnerabilities were ...

Notification overload: Why I'm turning off my phone alerts ... at least until my apps know me better | VentureBeat | Mobile | by Andy Hickl, A.R.O.: "I’ve decided not to receive any more notifications on my phones. No, I’m not a Luddite. Just someone who’s escaping the noise and anxiety caused by a mostly broken system...."

Look, Smartphone: No Hands! | MIT Technology Review: "Controlling an iPhone or Android phone with just your voice and a noise-cancelling headset is doable, but frustrating.....People might not mind chattering alone in the car, but not everyone is comfortable doing so on the bus. “I think giving people choice is always the best option when you can,” he says. I agree, in part because I couldn’t shake the feeling that I looked completely bizarre muttering to myself while using the Era in public. I suspect erasing that feeling will prove to be even more difficult than improving the speech recognition."

Google’s Chromecast streaming stick set to go on sale in the UK this week | Technology | theguardian.com: "The Chromecast plugs directly into a television via the HDMI port and acts as a receiver for media sent from Android smartphones and tablet apps, Apple devices as well as computers via the Chrome browser...."

Glenn Greenwald’s Encryption Guru - Alex Carp - POLITICO Magazine: ".... Schneier is a legendary encryption specialist who has written or edited 13 books on the subject, and worked for the Department of Defense, telecommunications companies, banks and governments. Most recently, he’s been a vocal advocate of the idea that the best security systems accept a reasonable amount of risk; a blind focus on protecting against every threat, he says, usually comes with unexpected costs....."

Google improves game content for players and developers
PFhub
This week, the Game Developers Conference kicks off at San Francisco's Moscone Center. While that is taking place, Google Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) has announced a bevy of positive changes it is making on games for players and developers. This is a move ...

Google's chat service crashes-- now Fixed
San Jose Mercury News
Google has been building up its professional offerings to challenge Microsoft's dominant enterprise offering of the Office productivity tools and Outlook email program, offering paid versions of its free Web-based suite to corporations. Google's non ...

Alibaba plans IPO that could break Facebook's record, Yahoo shares jump - San Jose Mercury News: "...."There are certainly some smart investments that I owe to my predecessors. Very notably, Jerry Yang's investment in Alibaba is something that people are very excited about," Mayer said at a conference in San Francisco last year. While Alibaba has not established how many shares it expects to sell nor a preliminary price range, experts say the company is currently worth as much as $200 billion, topping Amazon's market capitalization, $172 billion. An IPO that comes anywhere near that type of valuation would easily top Facebook's $104 billion value during its May 2012 IPO, when the Menlo Park social network raked in $16 billion, the most ever for a technology company...."

Android phone battery suffering? Here's a simple fix | ZDNet: "Google services aren't the only culprits; third-party apps can also get stuck and drain the battery. If your phone keeps killing the battery too fast even after a reboot, check the battery information in Settings. If an app is using the battery too much, Android settings will show it clearly as the offender. If that's the case, you'd better uninstall the app immediately."

Government computers running Windows XP will be vulnerable to hackers after April 8 - The Washington Post: "...Federal officials have known for more than six years that Microsoft will withdraw its free support for Windows XP on April 8, 2014. Despite a recent rush to complete upgrades, an estimated 10 percent of government computers — out of several million — will still be running the operating system on that date, company officials said...."

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FCC All Tangled Up, Goodbye Net Neutrality and Internet Freedom?

A lot of things threaten the internet -- NSA, censorship, chilling effects on free speech, copyright, patent and trademark abuses, governments (US and foreign), ITU, UN, ICANN, new gTLDs, cybercrime, malware .... the list goes on and on, but nothing is so fundamental to a free and open internet as all internet carriers being mandated to carry ALL internet traffic under net neutrality rules. The Court ruling referenced below needs to be addressed immediately by the Courts, the FCC, Congress and the President. Failing that, we may see the end to internet freedom in the US -- talk about an "economic headwind" -- more like an "economic hurricane!"

US appeals court strikes down FCC net neutrality rules
Reuters
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court has struck down the government's latest effort to require internet providers to treat all web traffic equally, meaning mobile carriers and other broadband providers may reach agreements for faster access to ...

Net Neutrality Ruling: What the Key Passages Mean - A few key passages in the ruling against the FCC on net neutrality explain how the court believes the FCC does have power to issue regulations governing Internet traffic, but why ultimately it determined the commission's Net neutrality rules were a bridge too far. http://on.wsj.com/1cjUSJG

Good news for UK, France and Germany!--
Google to launch its Moto X smartphone in UK, France and Germany
Financial Times
Google will launch its flagship Moto X smartphone in the UK, France and ...differentiate itself from dominant players Samsung and Apple in Europe.

Telegraph.co.uk

Moto G Google Play edition now available for $179
Engadget
The Moto G now has an official Google Play Edition. The device, which just popped up on the Google Play Store, is available for $180 (8GB) or $200 (16GB). Just like we've seen on other Google Play edition devices, the Moto G will offer the same specs as ... for more info/buy: Google Play 

Google to Buy Nest Labs for $3.2 Billion
New York Times
SAN FRANCISCO — Google, which dominates much of Internet users' ...iPhone and iPod engineers at Apple, will continue to operate independently under ... Google, which invested in Nest through its venture capital fund, has been ...

Firstpost

Microsoft Expects To Make Another Xbox
Forbes
Will we see a Playstation 5? How about an Xbox…um…two? As soon as Sony Sony and Microsoft Microsoft announced the PS4 and Xbox One, ...

Modern Readers

Apple loses court bid to block e-book antitrust monitor
Reuters
The judge also said there was "nothing improper" about a declaration filed by a lawyer chosen to serve as monitor, Michael Bromwich, that became the basis of Apple seeking his disqualification. Cote said she will promptly issue a decision explaining ...

Microsoft and GoDaddy announce strategic partnership to help ...
MarketWatch
"Combining our small-business expertise together with Microsoft's ... in the world," said John Case, corporate vice president, Microsoft Office.

NDTV

Apple's patented GUI compensates for iPhone motion, minimizes ...
Apple Insider
Apple on Tuesday was awarded an interesting patent describing a graphical user interface that offers a solution to inadvertent input errors users may ...

Apple Insider

How Microsoft should roll out the new CEO
Computerworld
When Microsoft announces the CEO, the company's work will be just ... Gregg Keizer coversMicrosoft, security issues, Apple, Web browsers and ...

Is Microsoft Campaigning for Hillary Clinton?
TIME
Microsoft's top ad man once worked for Hillary Clinton. ... his brand of negative advertising to the technology giant as it battles both Apple and Google...

Apple loses court bid to block e-book antitrust monitor
Chicago Tribune
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Apple Inc lost a bid on Monday to block an antitrust monitor appointed after a judge found that the company had conspired to ...

Google's reach expands into your home more via $3.2 billion Nest ...
ZDNet
Google's tentacles are spreading into your home even more. ... Fadell led the team at Apple that created the first 18 generations of the iPod and the ...

Pentagon on watch for disruptive technology worldwide: "Concerned about the potential military consequences of a surge of high tech innovation in China and other nations, the Pentagon is creating a program to track and analyze emerging technology research and patents, military records and interviews show..."

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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

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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 ...

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The Internet’s Future At Risk in Dubai

Internet Freedom, the ITU, the WCIT--great read in the MIT Technology Review (excerpt below):

The Internet’s Future Depends on Maintaining Its Free Spirit | MIT Technology Review: " . . .Perhaps the most profound observation made about the early Internet was that it was unlikely to spread across the globe. And yet, slowly at first, and faster with the advent of the World Wide Web, the Internet has found purchase on every continent–even Antarctica. This penetration is a consequence of the independent decisions made by hundreds of thousands of Internet operators whose business models range from nonprofit to for-profit to government operated and every other variation you can imagine. But a meeting of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), taking place in Dubai this week, threatens to stifle further Internet expansion and innovation. The protocols that fuel the Internet emerged from research sponsored by the U.S. Defense Department and later the U.S. National Science Foundation. Eventually, research and development found support from the private sector and non-U.S. governments around the world. The standards that underpin the Internet created an interoperable platform and framework that allowed anyone to implement a piece of the network and try to find someone willing to interconnect. One secret to the Internet’s success has been its “loosely coupled” character. In other words, no one was coerced to join or use it or to implement it. Interconnection of the networks of the Internet was accomplished under bilateral or multilateral agreements among the implementing entities. The freedom to choose the equipment, software, services, and business models has been key to the widespread . . . . "

In other words, we don't want or need the ITU, WCIT, or any UN agency controlling, regulating, or otherwise ruining the most successful communications network ever developed by humankind!

US drops 'net regulation bombshell, threatens WCIT exit
Register
As the ITU's WCIT conference rolls on in Doha, the head of the American delegation Terry Kramer has pointed to the big red button, threatening to veto any new treaty it believes puts the Internet at risk. America's delegation has become increasingly ...

Reuters: ITU: Russia Backed By China, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Sudan and the ...
TheDomains.com
Reuters, is reporting that Russian is backing a proposal with the support of China, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Sudan and the United Arab Emirates at the ITU is calling for sweeping new powers to regulate cyberspace. The United States, Europe and other ...

Crovitz: Would-Be Internet Regulators Need Deleting - WSJ.com: "Instead, authoritarian governments want to legitimize government censorship, tax Internet traffic that crosses national boundaries and mandate that ITU bureaucrats replace the nongovernmental engineering groups now smoothly running the Internet. . . . "

Leaked: ITU's secret Internet surveillance standard discussion draft
Boing Boing
Yesterday morning, I wrote about the closed-door International Telecommunications Union meeting where they were working on standardizing "deep packet inspection" -- a technology crucial to mass Internet surveillance. Other standards bodies have refused...

Boing Boing

ITU's DPI standard leaks after email SNAFU
Register
A moment of inattention has allowed the ITU's proposed deep packet inspection (DPI) standard to escape. The slip-up happened when an Australian CryptoParty activist Asher Wolf put out a public call on Twitter asking for a copy of the text. The ITU duly ...

ITU approves deep packet inspection standard behind closed doors
Inquirer
That the first act by the ITU members at this meeting was to approve the Y.2770 standard entitled "Requirements for deep packet inspection in next generation networks" should send a shiver through every internet user who is concerned about their privacy.

Inquirer

Velcro Feline: "ITU and WCIT off-track -- US Ambassador threatens veto . . . "December 10 2012 - Head of the American delegation to the World Conference on International Telecommunications, Ambassador Terry Kramer, has promised to veto revised international telecommunications regulations if they go anywhere near content. He told a Dow Jones reporter that the US delegation could walk away from the conference. The threats came as revelations emerged that the World Telecommunications Standards Assembly held in Dubai immediately prior to WCIT approved a 66 page standard for how to track and block Internet communications.""

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ITU Dubai Debacle: Does It Matter?

Read the full article (excerpt below) for the truth about the disaster taking place at the WCIT conference in Dubai sponsored by the UN's ITU--

The Dubai Debacle: Does It Matter?: " . . . The bottom line, however, is the existing ITU-T being relied upon here has no clothes. If one actually reads the technical content of ITU-T or General Secretariat material including proposed work over the next four years, it largely runs the gamut between clueless and ludicrous. With just a couple of minor exceptions, no one goes to its meetings anymore or actually uses any of its material. Everything it has done over the past two decades to stem the degeneration has failed. It is not clear how testing and certification could be done against vaporware standards. Arguably the WCIT represents the seeds of substantial ITU self-destruction — as it is only likely to further accelerate the decline and participation by industry or Western governments. Technically competent organizations and companies — which already regard the ITU as institutional malware — will further shun them. So what if some set of countries obligate themselves to abide by ITU-T promulgations? This was tried at WCIT-88 and it totally flopped. The only entities that suffered were the ITU-T itself as industry started to leave, and the countries which obligated themselves to standards that utterly failed in the marketplace. And, that was in the days that some of the ITU-T standards were actually capable of being implemented. In the near term, users in some countries — probably largely developing countries — may suffer from relying on products and services purporting to be based on ITU-T standards and suffer poor network performance, diminished security, and content restrictions. Some nations mak make bad choices based on ITU Snake Oil. In the long-term, however, these kind of bad choices tend to be self-corrective.--By Anthony Rutkowski, Principal, Netmagic Associates LLC"

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