To Map the Brain, Researchers Create Video Games[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 22:04:33 GMT ]Nerdwatch: Researchers at MIT's Seung Lab are using a video game to help them identify the shapes of retinal neurons.

Lensless, Pinpoint-Sized Camera Could Add Sight to Any Device[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 23:21:49 GMT ]With no lens and capturing only a blur of light, a new type of camera developed by Rambus barely meets the definition of the word. But it's so small and cheap to make that it could be included in just about any device.

This 'Thinking Cap' Really Does Improve Learning[ Sat, 29 Mar 2014 00:23:34 GMT ]The thinking caps we used to put on as kids may have been imaginary, but researchers at Vanderbilt University have built something that sounds a lot like a real one. Using a simple form of electrical stimulation, it seems to speed up the brain's natural learning process.

Google Exec: Technology Is Not Silver Bullet to Solve World's Problems[ Sat, 29 Mar 2014 15:49:11 GMT ]As revolutions continue to topple autocratic leaders at seemingly lightning speed, what role will technology and social media play in shaping the future of new regimes? How can the Internet help people communicate in places like Russia or Syria despite crackdowns on dissent?

Texas Gun Dealers Draw Tech Crowd With Bitcoin[ Mon, 31 Mar 2014 00:27:13 GMT ]Gun buyers are about to get a lot more bang for their bitcoin.The digital currency that’s generated controversy with the hunt for its mysterious founder, gotten the attention of the Winklevoss twins, and been seized by the FBI will soon have a new use -– buying the super-powered guns of the future.

Businesses of the future...with Samsung devices, of course (pictures)[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 04:00:00 PDT ]The Korean electronics giant operates a showroom -- called the Executive Briefing Center -- at its North American headquarters in New Jersey to show potential business customers what Samsung technology they can use to change their operations.

Apple rumor claims all-new, 12-inch MacBook Air[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 09:02:35 PDT ]The MacBook is getting a makeover sooner rather than later -- if chatter from China is accurate.

Twitter battle in Turkey heats up, spreads to YouTube -- reports[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 10:53:36 PDT ]The fight over a Twitter ban in the country intensifies, as the government reportedly blocks a workaround, the White House weighs in, and Google refuses to yank YouTube vids critical of the prime minister.

NSA's reported Huawei hack gives glimpse of agency's role in 'cyber Cold War'[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 13:38:11 PDT ]The latest report based on leaks by Edward Snowden has it that the NSA hacked into the servers of a Chinese router company that had itself been accused by the US of potentially aiding government espionage.

Mom tries to Facebook-shame daughter, gets pizza on face[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:36:05 PDT ]A mother makes her daughter pose for a picture to prove that it will travel far and wide on the Web. She ends up getting prank calls, pizza deliveries, and a lesson for herself.

Smart gun knows who's firing it[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 06:25:01 EDT ]Biometric technology is being used to create guns that identify a user from their fingerprints and from their grip.

Why Facebook paid $2B for Oculus[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 16:28:56 EDT ]On the surface, Facebook's $2 billion purchase of Oculus VR, which develops virtual-reality technology, doesn't make a lot of sense.

Billboards expose texting drivers[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:53:50 EDT ]Billboards expose San Francisco Bay area drivers texting behind the wheel. KPIX's Brian Webb reports.

Boosting Internet via drones, satellites[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:55:52 EDT ]Two thirds of the world population does not have Internet access. Facebook already has more than a billion users on its service, but before it can sign up the rest of world it needs to get them online.

Helping 'smart' devices talk to each other[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 12:02:08 EDT ]A house that tracks your every movement through your car and automatically heats up before you get home. A toaster that talks to your refrigerator and announces when breakfast is ready through your TV. A toothbrush that tattles on kids by sending a text message to their parents.

Gone in 60 Seconds? Easy to Hack Into a Tesla, Security Expert Says[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 21:49:01 GMT ]Tesla Motors' electric vehicles can be located and unlocked by criminals remotely simply by cracking a six-character password using traditional hacking techniques, according to newly released research.

To Map the Brain, Researchers Create Video Games[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 22:04:33 GMT ]Nerdwatch: Researchers at MIT's Seung Lab are using a video game to help them identify the shapes of retinal neurons.

Lensless, Pinpoint-Sized Camera Could Add Sight to Any Device[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 23:21:49 GMT ]With no lens and capturing only a blur of light, a new type of camera developed by Rambus barely meets the definition of the word. But it's so small and cheap to make that it could be included in just about any device.

This 'Thinking Cap' Really Does Improve Learning[ Sat, 29 Mar 2014 00:23:34 GMT ]The thinking caps we used to put on as kids may have been imaginary, but researchers at Vanderbilt University have built something that sounds a lot like a real one. Using a simple form of electrical stimulation, it seems to speed up the brain's natural learning process.

Google Exec: Technology Is Not Silver Bullet to Solve World's Problems[ Sat, 29 Mar 2014 15:49:11 GMT ]As revolutions continue to topple autocratic leaders at seemingly lightning speed, what role will technology and social media play in shaping the future of new regimes? How can the Internet help people communicate in places like Russia or Syria despite crackdowns on dissent?

Businesses of the future...with Samsung devices, of course (pictures)[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 04:00:00 PDT ]The Korean electronics giant operates a showroom -- called the Executive Briefing Center -- at its North American headquarters in New Jersey to show potential business customers what Samsung technology they can use to change their operations.

Apple rumor claims all-new, 12-inch MacBook Air[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 09:02:35 PDT ]The MacBook is getting a makeover sooner rather than later -- if chatter from China is accurate.

Twitter battle in Turkey heats up, spreads to YouTube -- reports[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 10:53:36 PDT ]The fight over a Twitter ban in the country intensifies, as the government reportedly blocks a workaround, the White House weighs in, and Google refuses to yank YouTube vids critical of the prime minister.

NSA's reported Huawei hack gives glimpse of agency's role in 'cyber Cold War'[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 13:38:11 PDT ]The latest report based on leaks by Edward Snowden has it that the NSA hacked into the servers of a Chinese router company that had itself been accused by the US of potentially aiding government espionage.

Mom tries to Facebook-shame daughter, gets pizza on face[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:36:05 PDT ]A mother makes her daughter pose for a picture to prove that it will travel far and wide on the Web. She ends up getting prank calls, pizza deliveries, and a lesson for herself.

Smart gun knows who's firing it[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 06:25:01 EDT ]Biometric technology is being used to create guns that identify a user from their fingerprints and from their grip.

Why Facebook paid $2B for Oculus[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 16:28:56 EDT ]On the surface, Facebook's $2 billion purchase of Oculus VR, which develops virtual-reality technology, doesn't make a lot of sense.

Billboards expose texting drivers[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:53:50 EDT ]Billboards expose San Francisco Bay area drivers texting behind the wheel. KPIX's Brian Webb reports.

Boosting Internet via drones, satellites[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:55:52 EDT ]Two thirds of the world population does not have Internet access. Facebook already has more than a billion users on its service, but before it can sign up the rest of world it needs to get them online.

Helping 'smart' devices talk to each other[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 12:02:08 EDT ]A house that tracks your every movement through your car and automatically heats up before you get home. A toaster that talks to your refrigerator and announces when breakfast is ready through your TV. A toothbrush that tattles on kids by sending a text message to their parents.

Safety Agency Ends Tesla Car Fire Probe After Maker Adds Shield[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 21:17:55 GMT ]Road safety regulators found no defect trend and closed their investigation into Tesla electric car fires, as the automaker added a “triple underbody shield.”

Gone in 60 Seconds? Easy to Hack Into a Tesla, Security Expert Says[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 21:49:01 GMT ]Tesla Motors' electric vehicles can be located and unlocked by criminals remotely simply by cracking a six-character password using traditional hacking techniques, according to newly released research.

To Map the Brain, Researchers Create Video Games[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 22:04:33 GMT ]Nerdwatch: Researchers at MIT's Seung Lab are using a video game to help them identify the shapes of retinal neurons.

Lensless, Pinpoint-Sized Camera Could Add Sight to Any Device[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 23:21:49 GMT ]With no lens and capturing only a blur of light, a new type of camera developed by Rambus barely meets the definition of the word. But it's so small and cheap to make that it could be included in just about any device.

This 'Thinking Cap' Really Does Improve Learning[ Sat, 29 Mar 2014 00:23:34 GMT ]The thinking caps we used to put on as kids may have been imaginary, but researchers at Vanderbilt University have built something that sounds a lot like a real one. Using a simple form of electrical stimulation, it seems to speed up the brain's natural learning process.

Businesses of the future...with Samsung devices, of course (pictures)[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 04:00:00 PDT ]The Korean electronics giant operates a showroom -- called the Executive Briefing Center -- at its North American headquarters in New Jersey to show potential business customers what Samsung technology they can use to change their operations.

Apple rumor claims all-new, 12-inch MacBook Air[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 09:02:35 PDT ]The MacBook is getting a makeover sooner rather than later -- if chatter from China is accurate.

Twitter battle in Turkey heats up, spreads to YouTube -- reports[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 10:53:36 PDT ]The fight over a Twitter ban in the country intensifies, as the government reportedly blocks a workaround, the White House weighs in, and Google refuses to yank YouTube vids critical of the prime minister.

NSA's reported Huawei hack gives glimpse of agency's role in 'cyber Cold War'[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 13:38:11 PDT ]The latest report based on leaks by Edward Snowden has it that the NSA hacked into the servers of a Chinese router company that had itself been accused by the US of potentially aiding government espionage.

Mom tries to Facebook-shame daughter, gets pizza on face[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:36:05 PDT ]A mother makes her daughter pose for a picture to prove that it will travel far and wide on the Web. She ends up getting prank calls, pizza deliveries, and a lesson for herself.

Smart gun knows who's firing it[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 06:25:01 EDT ]Biometric technology is being used to create guns that identify a user from their fingerprints and from their grip.

Why Facebook paid $2B for Oculus[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 16:28:56 EDT ]On the surface, Facebook's $2 billion purchase of Oculus VR, which develops virtual-reality technology, doesn't make a lot of sense.

Billboards expose texting drivers[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 11:53:50 EDT ]Billboards expose San Francisco Bay area drivers texting behind the wheel. KPIX's Brian Webb reports.

Boosting Internet via drones, satellites[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 09:55:52 EDT ]Two thirds of the world population does not have Internet access. Facebook already has more than a billion users on its service, but before it can sign up the rest of world it needs to get them online.

Helping 'smart' devices talk to each other[ Fri, 28 Mar 2014 12:02:08 EDT ]A house that tracks your every movement through your car and automatically heats up before you get home. A toaster that talks to your refrigerator and announces when breakfast is ready through your TV. A toothbrush that tattles on kids by sending a text message to their parents.

Mt. Gox Hack Only Amounted to A Handful of Bitcoins: Study[ Thu, 27 Mar 2014 21:38:12 GMT ]An analysis by Swiss researchers of bitcoin transaction data suggests that bankrupt exchange Mt. Gox, which blamed a bug in bitcoin itself for the loss of millions in the virtual currency, could in fact have only lost a tiny fraction of that amount.

Microsoft No Longer Will Support Windows XP[ Thu, 27 Mar 2014 21:53:47 GMT ]Microsoft's long-running operating system, Windows XP, expires on April 8. What should consumers still using XP do? Mark Barger talked to an expert.

Facebook Will Use Drones, Lasers to 'Deliver the Internet to Everyone'[ Thu, 27 Mar 2014 21:38:12 GMT ]What's that flying overhead? It could soon be a Facebook-owned Internet drone.Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Thursday that the company will use "drones, satellites and lasers" to achieve its dream of bringing Internet connectivity to everyone in the world.

Twitter battle in Turkey heats up, spreads to YouTube -- reports[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 10:53:36 PDT ]The fight over a Twitter ban in the country intensifies, as the government reportedly blocks a workaround, the White House weighs in, and Google refuses to yank YouTube vids critical of the prime minister.

Businesses of the future...with Samsung devices, of course (pictures)[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 04:00:00 PDT ]The Korean electronics giant operates a showroom -- called the Executive Briefing Center -- at its North American headquarters in New Jersey to show potential business customers what Samsung technology they can use to change their operations.

Early Oculus Rift had Huge Potential[ Thu, 27 Mar 2014 22:55:33 GMT ]Before it was sold to Facebook for $2 billion, Oculus Rift was a homemade virtual reality kit available to demo at E3 2012. NBC News revisits the prototype.

Medical First: 3-D Printed Skull Successfully Implanted in Woman[ Thu, 27 Mar 2014 22:40:03 GMT ]Another day, another advance in 3-D printing technology.Doctors in the Netherlands report that they have for the first time successfully replaced most of a human’s skull with a 3-D printed plastic one — and likely saved a woman's life in the process.

NSA's reported Huawei hack gives glimpse of agency's role in 'cyber Cold War'[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 13:38:11 PDT ]The latest report based on leaks by Edward Snowden has it that the NSA hacked into the servers of a Chinese router company that had itself been accused by the US of potentially aiding government espionage.

Apple rumor claims all-new, 12-inch MacBook Air[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 09:02:35 PDT ]The MacBook is getting a makeover sooner rather than later -- if chatter from China is accurate.

Mom tries to Facebook-shame daughter, gets pizza on face[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:36:05 PDT ]A mother makes her daughter pose for a picture to prove that it will travel far and wide on the Web. She ends up getting prank calls, pizza deliveries, and a lesson for herself.

Scientists create a mini Mars on Earth[ Thu, 27 Mar 2014 14:33:25 EDT ]If you want to drive on Mars you are going to need a very large sand pit to prepare.

Live-tweet your wedding for $3,000[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 10:53:12 EDT ]Sure, the wedding was stunning. The doves were released on cue, you didn't stumble on your vows, and your aunt Caroline stayed sober until after the toasts. But something was off: Your special day didn't play as well on social media as you were hoping.

Twitter adds photo tagging[ Thu, 27 Mar 2014 10:15:17 EDT ]Twitter announced Wednesday that it is squeezing in new photo tagging and collage features.

Why Facebook paid $2B for Oculus[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 16:28:56 EDT ]On the surface, Facebook's $2 billion purchase of Oculus VR, which develops virtual-reality technology, doesn't make a lot of sense.

New app helps you disappear[ Thu, 27 Mar 2014 13:17:14 EDT ]CNN's Samuel Burke shows us how an app allows users to avoid people

Why Facebook Is Betting on Virtual Reality as the Next Big Thing[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 21:41:17 GMT ]First, computers took over our lives. Then came mobile devices. Now, Facebook is betting virtual reality will become just as inextricable from our daily routine.Facebook announced Tuesday that it will buy Oculus VR, maker of the most advanced virtual-reality headset.

Are You a Jerk on Xbox One? Now Everybody Will Know[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 22:12:19 GMT ]Do you taunt other players after winning a game of "NBA 2K14"? Spew obscenities after getting killed in "Call of Duty"?Well, Microsoft is going to punish you for it. The company has officially unveiled its reputation score system for people who play games online on Xbox One.

MIT Project Takes Steps to 'PRISM'-Proof' the Internet[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 22:43:24 GMT ]Raluca Popa, a researcher at MIT, is working on a way to make online services more secure: by allowing data to be encrypted on the user's computer, rather than on a distant server. But it's still far from a perfect security solution.

Twitter App Update Adds Photo Tags, Galleries[ Thu, 27 Mar 2014 01:02:50 GMT ]Twitter issued an update to its iOS and Android apps Wednesday that adds a few handy features for users who post a lot of photos.First, much like Facebook, you can now tag up to 10 other users in photos. Just hit the "Who's in this photo?

Early Oculus Rift had Huge Potential[ Thu, 27 Mar 2014 12:05:14 GMT ]Before it was sold to Facebook for $2 billion, Oculus Rift was a homemade virtual reality kit available to demo at E3 2012. NBC News revisits the prototype.

Businesses of the future...with Samsung devices, of course (pictures)[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 04:00:00 PDT ]The Korean electronics giant operates a showroom -- called the Executive Briefing Center -- at its North American headquarters in New Jersey to show potential business customers what Samsung technology they can use to change their operations.

Apple rumor claims all-new, 12-inch MacBook Air[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 09:02:35 PDT ]The MacBook is getting a makeover sooner rather than later -- if chatter from China is accurate.

Twitter battle in Turkey heats up, spreads to YouTube -- reports[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 10:53:36 PDT ]The fight over a Twitter ban in the country intensifies, as the government reportedly blocks a workaround, the White House weighs in, and Google refuses to yank YouTube vids critical of the prime minister.

NSA's reported Huawei hack gives glimpse of agency's role in 'cyber Cold War'[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 13:38:11 PDT ]The latest report based on leaks by Edward Snowden has it that the NSA hacked into the servers of a Chinese router company that had itself been accused by the US of potentially aiding government espionage.

Mom tries to Facebook-shame daughter, gets pizza on face[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:36:05 PDT ]A mother makes her daughter pose for a picture to prove that it will travel far and wide on the Web. She ends up getting prank calls, pizza deliveries, and a lesson for herself.

High-tech ears listen for Flight 370[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 11:13:43 EDT ]CNN's Stephanie Elam demonstrates the hydrophone listening for Flight 370's black box pings.

Live-tweet your wedding for $3,000[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 10:53:12 EDT ]Sure, the wedding was stunning. The doves were released on cue, you didn't stumble on your vows, and your aunt Caroline stayed sober until after the toasts. But something was off: Your special day didn't play as well on social media as you were hoping.

Social media goes small [ Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:55:02 EDT ]In an age when people are encouraged to collect hundreds of Facebook "friends" and thousands of Twitter followers, some social media users, particularly young ones, are going smaller.

Why Facebook paid $2B for Oculus[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 16:28:56 EDT ]On the surface, Facebook's $2 billion purchase of Oculus VR, which develops virtual-reality technology, doesn't make a lot of sense.

Why did Facebook pay $2B for Oculus?[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 15:16:01 EDT ]On the surface, Facebook's $2 billion purchase of Oculus VR, which develops virtual-reality technology, doesn't make a lot of sense.

'Candy Crush' Maker Prices IPO Shares, Values Company at $7B[ Tue, 25 Mar 2014 23:15:19 GMT ]Mobile game maker King Digital Entertainment said that its initial public offering was priced at $22.50 per share, which would value the maker of "Candy Crush Saga" at about $7.08 billion when it goes public Wednesday.King's offering of 22.

Twitter Investigating Vanishing Tweets[ Tue, 25 Mar 2014 23:15:21 GMT ]Twitter's most retweeted tweet of all-time vanished from the platform on Tuesday.Users of the social media service began buzzing late Tuesday afternoon that tweets were mysteriously disappearing.

'Minecraft' Creator Ditches Oculus: 'Facebook Creeps Me Out'[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 00:32:43 GMT ]Markus Persson, known online as "Notch" and the creator of the hugely popular game "Minecraft," pulled the plug on plans to work with Oculus after the virtual-reality technology company was bought by Facebook on Tuesday.

Mt. Gox Works With Cops After $490M in Bitcoins Vanish[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 09:18:32 GMT ]TOKYO - In the first confirmation of a criminal investigation at Mt. Gox, the failed bitcoin exchange said on Wednesday it was working with the police "with regard to the disappearance" of bitcoins worth some $490 million at current prices.Mt.

#Crazy? $3,000 Buys a 'Social Media Wedding Concierge'[ Wed, 26 Mar 2014 12:08:44 GMT ]The W Hotels is offering a "Social Media Wedding Concierge" service available at four New York locations.

Businesses of the future...with Samsung devices, of course (pictures)[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 04:00:00 PDT ]The Korean electronics giant operates a showroom -- called the Executive Briefing Center -- at its North American headquarters in New Jersey to show potential business customers what Samsung technology they can use to change their operations.

Apple rumor claims all-new, 12-inch MacBook Air[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 09:02:35 PDT ]The MacBook is getting a makeover sooner rather than later -- if chatter from China is accurate.

Twitter battle in Turkey heats up, spreads to YouTube -- reports[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 10:53:36 PDT ]The fight over a Twitter ban in the country intensifies, as the government reportedly blocks a workaround, the White House weighs in, and Google refuses to yank YouTube vids critical of the prime minister.

NSA's reported Huawei hack gives glimpse of agency's role in 'cyber Cold War'[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 13:38:11 PDT ]The latest report based on leaks by Edward Snowden has it that the NSA hacked into the servers of a Chinese router company that had itself been accused by the US of potentially aiding government espionage.

Mom tries to Facebook-shame daughter, gets pizza on face[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:36:05 PDT ]A mother makes her daughter pose for a picture to prove that it will travel far and wide on the Web. She ends up getting prank calls, pizza deliveries, and a lesson for herself.

New app helps you avoid exes[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:23:50 EDT ]After moving to New York, Brian Moore could not stop running into his ex-girlfriend. There were four awkward and unplanned encounters in six months, to be exact.

Will Candy Crush's IPO be sweet?[ Tue, 25 Mar 2014 11:47:40 EDT ]CNN's Samuel Burke reports on the popularity of the game Candy Crush and previews the parent company's IPO.

Can tech solve California's drought?[ Mon, 24 Mar 2014 12:47:23 EDT ]Sometimes it takes a disaster to inspire innovation.

Social media goes small [ Tue, 25 Mar 2014 12:55:02 EDT ]In an age when people are encouraged to collect hundreds of Facebook "friends" and thousands of Twitter followers, some social media users, particularly young ones, are going smaller.

Social media users seeking smaller circles[ Tue, 25 Mar 2014 11:42:49 EDT ]In an age when people are encouraged to collect hundreds of Facebook "friends" and thousands of Twitter followers, some social media users, particularly young ones, are going smaller.

Microsoft Scanned Blogger's Hotmail to Find Windows 8 Leaker[ Mon, 24 Mar 2014 21:29:32 GMT ]Microsoft accessed the Hotmail emails of a blogger thought to be the recipient of leaked Windows pre-release information, in order to identify and help arrest the employee who shared them.The alleged leaker is former Microsoft employee Alex Kibkalo, who was arrested Monday.

Quora Launches Verified Profiles, Starting With President Obama[ Mon, 24 Mar 2014 21:45:05 GMT ]Quora, the question-and-answer social network where user credentials matter most, finally got around to rolling out Verified Profiles. President Barack Obama was first to get the big blue check of authenticity on Monday, as he answered two questions on the site about the Affordable Care Act.

Tumblr Boosts Security With Two-Factor Authentication[ Mon, 24 Mar 2014 21:45:07 GMT ]Worried someone is going to get the login to your Tumblr dashboard and publish something that isn't a cat gif? You can now turn on two-factor authentication, making it so login attempts must be confirmed on your phone.

Disney to Buy YouTube Network Maker for $500M[ Mon, 24 Mar 2014 22:47:23 GMT ]Disney said Monday that it is buying YouTube channel operator Maker Studios for $500 million as the family entertainment giant aims to stay in front of younger audiences who are increasingly watching short videos online.The Walt Disney Co.

Google Partners With Ray-Ban, Oakley For New Glass Designs[ Mon, 24 Mar 2014 23:02:59 GMT ]Is the current look of Google Glass a bit too ... dorky for you? You're probably not the only one who thinks so. Thankfully, Google is collaborating with Ray-Ban and Oakley on some designs you might actually want to wear.

Businesses of the future...with Samsung devices, of course (pictures)[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 04:00:00 PDT ]The Korean electronics giant operates a showroom -- called the Executive Briefing Center -- at its North American headquarters in New Jersey to show potential business customers what Samsung technology they can use to change their operations.

Apple rumor claims all-new, 12-inch MacBook Air[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 09:02:35 PDT ]The MacBook is getting a makeover sooner rather than later -- if chatter from China is accurate.

Twitter battle in Turkey heats up, spreads to YouTube -- reports[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 10:53:36 PDT ]The fight over a Twitter ban in the country intensifies, as the government reportedly blocks a workaround, the White House weighs in, and Google refuses to yank YouTube vids critical of the prime minister.

NSA's reported Huawei hack gives glimpse of agency's role in 'cyber Cold War'[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 13:38:11 PDT ]The latest report based on leaks by Edward Snowden has it that the NSA hacked into the servers of a Chinese router company that had itself been accused by the US of potentially aiding government espionage.

Mom tries to Facebook-shame daughter, gets pizza on face[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:36:05 PDT ]A mother makes her daughter pose for a picture to prove that it will travel far and wide on the Web. She ends up getting prank calls, pizza deliveries, and a lesson for herself.

Can tech save drought-ravaged California?[ Mon, 24 Mar 2014 15:48:58 EDT ]Sometimes it takes a disaster to inspire innovation.

Instagram's favorite grandma[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 18:24:38 EDT ]I once uploaded an Instagram of me at Old Navy trying to get all kissy-face with a mannequin. At the time it seemed like a good idea, but she was rather unresponsive.

Underwater tech searches for plane [ Mon, 24 Mar 2014 11:57:12 EDT ]CNN's Rosa Flores reports on technology used to comb the depths of oceans to find debris, such as planes and shipwrecks

New app helps you avoid exes[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:23:50 EDT ]After moving to New York, Brian Moore could not stop running into his ex-girlfriend. There were four awkward and unplanned encounters in six months, to be exact.

Can tech solve California's drought?[ Mon, 24 Mar 2014 12:47:23 EDT ]Sometimes it takes a disaster to inspire innovation.

Search for Old 'E.T.' Atari Games to Go On in New Mexico Landfill[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:09:02 GMT ]ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — A planned dig into a New Mexico landfill for a rumored cache of what some consider the worst Atari video game of all time is expected to proceed despite state environmental regulators' concerns, organizers say.

Netflix CEO Slams ISPs for 'Extracting a Toll Because They Can'[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:24:30 GMT ]The battle rages on between Netflix and the country's biggest Internet service providers.Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said in a blog post Thursday that the company will pay more ISPs to ensure a good customer experience — but he slammed those providers for "extracting a toll because they can.

Google's Robot Staying in DARPA Challenge But Won't Take Federal Money[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 22:56:52 GMT ]Team Schaft will switch into the self-funded track, meaning it won’t be tapping into the $1 million in DARPA funds available to finalists.

Obama Tries to Reassure Tech CEOs on Privacy[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 23:58:38 GMT ]A week before a self-imposed deadline for a review of National Security Agency programs, President Barack Obama sought Friday to assure leading Internet and tech executives that his administration is committed to protecting people's privacy.

Dirty Bird: Roddy White Tries to Weasel Out of Twitter Bet[ Sun, 23 Mar 2014 16:23:32 GMT ]Falcons receiver Roddy White plans only to partially pay off a March Madness bet he made with a fan on Twitter.

Businesses of the future...with Samsung devices, of course (pictures)[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 04:00:00 PDT ]The Korean electronics giant operates a showroom -- called the Executive Briefing Center -- at its North American headquarters in New Jersey to show potential business customers what Samsung technology they can use to change their operations.

Apple rumor claims all-new, 12-inch MacBook Air[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 09:02:35 PDT ]The MacBook is getting a makeover sooner rather than later -- if chatter from China is accurate.

Twitter battle in Turkey heats up, spreads to YouTube -- reports[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 10:53:36 PDT ]The fight over a Twitter ban in the country intensifies, as the government reportedly blocks a workaround, the White House weighs in, and Google refuses to yank YouTube vids critical of the prime minister.

NSA's reported Huawei hack gives glimpse of agency's role in 'cyber Cold War'[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 13:38:11 PDT ]The latest report based on leaks by Edward Snowden has it that the NSA hacked into the servers of a Chinese router company that had itself been accused by the US of potentially aiding government espionage.

Mom tries to Facebook-shame daughter, gets pizza on face[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 15:36:05 PDT ]A mother makes her daughter pose for a picture to prove that it will travel far and wide on the Web. She ends up getting prank calls, pizza deliveries, and a lesson for herself.

Meet Sony's 'Project Morpheus'[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 17:18:18 EDT ]Virtual reality, the emerging 3D technology many expect to be the next quantum leap in the video gaming world, just got a little more real.

Your first tweet was ...[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:23:22 EDT ]Unless you have a photographic memory or just joined Twitter last week, you probably don't recall your first tweet.

Instagram's favorite grandma[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 18:24:38 EDT ]I once uploaded an Instagram of me at Old Navy trying to get all kissy-face with a mannequin. At the time it seemed like a good idea, but she was rather unresponsive.

New app helps you avoid exes[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:23:50 EDT ]After moving to New York, Brian Moore could not stop running into his ex-girlfriend. There were four awkward and unplanned encounters in six months, to be exact.

New app helps you avoid friends, exes[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:03:28 EDT ]After moving to New York, Brian Moore could not stop running into his ex-girlfriend. There were four awkward and unplanned encounters in six months, to be exact.

Celebrate National Puppy Day by Looking at These Puppy GIFs[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 20:23:15 GMT ]It’s time to take a break from all of the serious stuff you do on the Internet and spend some time looking at pictures of cute animals.

Search for Old 'E.T.' Atari Games to Go On in New Mexico Landfill[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:09:02 GMT ]ALAMOGORDO, N.M. — A planned dig into a New Mexico landfill for a rumored cache of what some consider the worst Atari video game of all time is expected to proceed despite state environmental regulators' concerns, organizers say.

Netflix CEO Slams ISPs for 'Extracting a Toll Because They Can'[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 21:24:30 GMT ]The battle rages on between Netflix and the country's biggest Internet service providers.Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said in a blog post Thursday that the company will pay more ISPs to ensure a good customer experience — but he slammed those providers for "extracting a toll because they can.

Google's Robot Staying in DARPA Challenge But Won't Take Federal Money[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 22:56:52 GMT ]Team Schaft will switch into the self-funded track, meaning it won’t be tapping into the $1 million in DARPA funds available to finalists.

Obama Tries to Reassure Tech CEOs on Privacy[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 23:58:38 GMT ]A week before a self-imposed deadline for a review of National Security Agency programs, President Barack Obama sought Friday to assure leading Internet and tech executives that his administration is committed to protecting people's privacy.

Apple considering a Spotify rival and iTunes Android app[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 23:41:04 GMT ] (Credit: James Martin/CNET) Apple is in negotiations with senior executives at record labels about launching an on-demand streaming music service that would compete with Spotify and Beats music, according to a report by Billboard. Citing three unnamed sources, the publication said the "exploratory talks" are right now in very early stages. The report also said Apple is mulling creating an iTunes Store app for Android, bringing the property to enemy turf. Apple did not return a request for comment. We'll update this post if we hear back. Related posts iOS 7.1 jailbroken but only on the iPhone 4 Christian Bale is top choice to play Steve Jobs, says report Apple envisions stylus with extendable, multitouch nib Most China Mobile 4G users bought iPhone, chairman says 37 years later, world's first Apple reseller to close its doors The considerations come at a trying time for iTunes. According to Nielsen, downloads on the platform are down 13 percent from the week of March 9, and digital track sales are down 11 percent from last year. While downloads have declined, streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, and even YouTube have found steady footing. According to a recent report by the Recording Industry Association of America [PDF], the streaming services made $1.4 billion in subscriptions, advertising, and licensing revenues in the US, rising 39 percent from 2012. By contrast, download revenues dropped to 2.9 billion, falling 3.2 percent. If Billboard's story is accurate, it would be aligned with other reports that suggest Apple is retooling the strategy around its music services. The company already has a streaming radio service, iTunes Radio, which may become its own standalone app when the company revamps its mobile operating system with iOS 8. Currently, the service is tethered to the iTunes app. [Via Billboard]Related Links:Spotify hires Beats Music former head of productAmazon said to be adding a music-streaming serviceBeats Music turns 7 out of 10 free-trial users to paying ones?Apple reportedly eyes iTunes Radio as separate app in iOS 8Beats Music opens up, making its API public

Obama talks spying with Facebook's Zuckerberg, Google's Schmidt[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 01:41:00 GMT ] President Obama during his January 17 NSA reform speech. (Credit: Whitehouse.gov live stream/Screenshot by CNET) As expected, President Obama met with Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Google Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings, and other tech executives Friday afternoon to discuss efforts to reform the National Security Agency's controversial surveillance programs. "The President used this opportunity to update the CEOs on our progress in implementing the principles and reforms he announced on January 17, including the new Presidential Directive he issued to govern our intelligence activities that will ensure that we take into account our security requirements, but also our alliances, our trade and investment relationships, including the concerns of our companies, and our commitment to privacy and basic liberties," the White House said in a statement provided to various media outlets. "The President reiterated his Administration's commitment to taking steps that can give people greater confidence that their rights are being protected while preserving important tools that keep us safe." More on NSA surveillance Obama to meet again with tech leaders over surveillance Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg phones Obama about NSA NSA system designed to attack 'millions' of computers, says report Obama: Tech a 'tool for individual empowerment, not government control' NSA disguised itself as Google to spy, say reports The meeting comes just a few days after The Intercept reported that the NSA had masqueraded as a Facebook server to place spy malware on targeted computers and gain access to data stored on hard drives (the NSA responded by saying, "NSA does not use its technical capabilities to impersonate US company Web sites"). The day after the report, Zuckerberg phoned Obama and posted a note about the call on his Facebook page, writing, "I've been so confused and frustrated by the repeated reports of the behavior of the US government. When our engineers work tirelessly to improve security, we imagine we're protecting you against criminals, not our own government." Facebook said in a statement Friday that at today's White House meeting Zuckerberg and Obama "had an honest talk about government intrusion on the Internet and the toll it is taking on people's confidence in a free and open Internet," adding that "while the US Government has taken helpful steps to reform its surveillance practices, these are simply not enough. People around the globe deserve to know that their information is secure and Facebook will keep urging the US Government to be more transparent about its practices and more protective of civil liberties." The Intercept story was not the first report of the NSA posing as a prominent Web site in order to spy. Last September, a Brazilian news story said the agency had disguised itself as Google. And there was also a Washington Post report, in October, that the NSA had secretly tapped into the private fiber-optic networks that connect Google's and Yahoo's worldwide data centers, allowing the spy agency to suck up "at will" metadata and content belonging to users of the companies' services. The latter report seemed to be what pushed tech companies to move beyond simply calling for transparency in regard to government requests for user data, and to begin pushing for reform of the NSA's practices. In December, a group of tech heavy hitters including Apple's Tim Cook, Google's Schmidt, and Yahoo's Marissa Mayer hijacked the agenda of a White House meeting with Obama, shifting the emphasis from fixing Healthcare.gov to fixing the NSA. (This in-person push for reform followed a campaign earlier in the month that included full-page ads in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and elsewhere.) In the January 17 NSA reform speech referenced by today's White House statement, Obama addressed some issues but said others, including the NSA's use of hacking exploits and its efforts to crack encryption, would be studied further in order to determine what sorts of reforms could be put in place without jeopardizing national security. He gave the groups charged with those investigations till March 28 to put together proposals. Other CEOs at the Friday meeting included Drew Houston of Dropbox, Alexander Karp of Palantir Technologies, and Aaron Levie of Box, according to Recode, which added that Yahoo's Mayer and Microsoft's Satya Nadella where unable to change their schedules in time to attend. Update, 7:13 p.m. PT: Adds details.Related Links:Obama to meet again with tech leaders over surveillanceFacebook's Zuckerberg sounds off again about NSA scandalFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg phones Obama about NSAFacebook's security chief on a post-Snowden 'silver lining'Schmidt: Not even US gov't can get at Google user data

Google speeds WebP image format, brings animation support to Chrome[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 06:56:25 GMT ] Google has built a new version of its WebP software into Chrome to let browsers display its image format 25 percent faster, the company said Friday. The better performance new libwebp 0.4.0 is part of Google's general effort to speed up the Web, and the new software also uses less memory and fixes an issue that had blocked Google from supporting animated WebP images. The updated WebP support is built into the version of Chrome that's currently in beta. Animated GIF images, popular on sites such as Tumblr and Imgur, are the last remaining holdout for the elderly Graphics Interchange Format, which otherwise has largely been replaced by PNG (Portable Network Graphics) and JPEG. Google argues WebP can replace all three image formats, but has yet to persuade other browser makers to support WebP despite some urging from sites such as Facebook and Netflix. Related stories Mozilla works to squeeze more life out of JPEG Chrome beta disses plug-ins, speeds tapping on Android Mozilla unimpressed with Google's Web photo standard Blink leaders reject animated WebP images in Chrome, for now Animated WebP graphics support no shoo-in for Chrome Google argues that WebP reduces file sizes compared to JPEG, but the WebP improvement hasn't been dramatic enough to persuade Mozilla, which is concentrating on squeezing a little more life out of JPEG. Even if WebP or some alternative catches on, countless JPEGs will live on the Web, and Mozilla is leery of introducing a requirement to support another file format for perpetuity. One very popular feature combines two aspects of JPEG and PNG: JPEG's lossy compression, which can significantly reduce file sizes by throwing away data in original images, and PNG's alpha transparency, which lets a graphic designer designate portions of an image as transparent. The latter is very handy when overlapping images such as icons atop a background. WebP also can operate in a lossless mode that works where PNG is more common today, for example in corporate logos on the Web. Google uses WebP to replace PNG in this context on its Google Play site, a move that lopped off a third of file sizes. Google also said it's moving to WebP for YouTube thumbnail images, showing yet again how much influence it can have on the Web's future by controlling both a major browser and major properties on the Web. "All the rollouts within Google combined have raised our aggregate data transfer savings tally to tens of terabytes every day," said Husain Bengali, a product manager and WebP optimizer at Google, in a blog post on Friday. "For users, this translates into faster page load times and fewer bytes counted against metered data plans." The WebP debate has been very contentious for Mozilla. Ardent fans, distressed at Firefox's continuing lack of support, have urged Mozilla to support WebP on the Firefox bug-tracker. After 193 comments, Mozilla restricted commenting privileges on Wednesday and tried to move the discussion to a mailing list. Related Links:Mozilla works to squeeze more life out of JPEGBetter manage downloads in Chrome with Downloadr extensionEnable Chromecast streaming in latest Chrome Beta for AndroidGmail on iOS just got a lot fasterHow to run both Chrome OS and Ubuntu on a Chromebook

Samsung shows business customers how to be high tech[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 11:00:00 GMT ] Samsung's North American headquarters in Ridgefield Park, NJ, has an "executive briefing center" to show potential customers what they can do with Samsung electronics. (Credit: Shara Tibken/CNET) RIDGEFIELD PARK, NJ -- Samsung's pretty sure it knows just what business customers need, and it's happy to show them. The Korean electronics giant last year opened an "Executive Briefing Center" on the sixth floor of its North American headquarters in Ridgefield Park, NJ. The facility is used to show potential customers the sort of Samsung technology they can use to update their businesses. That includes everything from monitors that connect with tablets and smartphones to special screens that overlay displays to make them touch-compatible. Samsung's briefing center doesn't just show the different technologies, but actually has them displayed in the sort of environment where they'd be used -- schools, medical centers, financial offices, hotels, and retailers. Visitors, which number in the hundreds each month, can use the vignettes to brainstorm, but they can't buy such solutions straight off the shelf. Check out CNET's slideshow for your own personal tour: Businesses of the future...with Samsung devices, of course (pictures) 1-2 of 7 Scroll Left Scroll Right Related Links:

2048 starts easy; gets hard. Here's how to make it easy again[ Sat, 22 Mar 2014 11:00:00 GMT ] Once you complete 2048 by reaching the titular score, you're given the option of rejoicing in your victory and moving on, or attempting to score higher. Beware though: building another 2048 tile from scratch is an entirely different breed of challenge. (Credit: Screenshot by Nick Statt/CNET) Like the popular iOS and Android puzzler Threes, from which it borrows its core concept, 2048 is a game as much about numbers as it is about space. You have a limited number of free squares, and each move introduces another tile into the mix. But combine like numbers into their sum and you've opened up the board for the new tile and simultaneously progressed a little further toward your goal of making a magic 2048 tile, a feat accomplished by combining two 128s into a 256 and two 256s into a 512 and so on. Related stories: Flame-breathing RC dragon flies for only $60,000 GDC 2014's virtual-reality highlights The 404 1,450: Where we play by ear (podcast) Papers, Please dominates IGF Awards at GDC 2014 2048 is the new Flappy Bird in so many ways The HTML5 game, which can be played in a mobile or desktop browser for free, took off earlier this month when 19-year-old Italian programmer Gabriele Cirulli published it on GitHub, playable on a standalone site for mobile and desktop. He claims it's borrowed from the iOS app 1024, yet that game itself is a self-described free version of Asher Vollmer's Threes, so all three exist in a similar family of addictive, math-based puzzlers. But where 2048 differs substantially from Threes, an admittedly far more difficult game with a steeper learning curve, is in its addictive conceit. 2048 is difficult -- and you don't realize that until you first progress far into the game; whereas Threes will aggressively remind you that you must keep the board free from clutter. In fact, I've gone one game in Threes earning as much as 10,000 points to my next where I earn in the low triple-digits, moving too quickly and mindlessly to realize I'd made fatal mistakes so early on. It's that antithetical challenge curve of 2048 that keeps you coming back. For one, it's actually difficult to lose for the first few minutes of play unless you have absolutely zero strategy. Not only does that let you progress far into the game very early on -- a 512 tile can be unlocked in under a minute if you move fast enough -- but it instills in you, like the infamous Flappy Bird, a notion that this game can't be that hard. Yet, get far enough and everything seems to fall apart before your eyes, possibly with an elusive 1024 tile on board that makes you kick yourself and start again. So how exactly does one succeed at 2048? It's fairly easy in fact to reach the end the same day you pick up the game. It takes simple strategy, a knowledge of when to alter that strategy, and, unlike Threes, requires almost no luck whatsoever. Build into a corner The first step with all these Candy Crush-meets-Sudoku number games is to understand that the corner is your best friend. For me, it's the upper left. It's just how I play, and any of the corners will do. That strategy lets you build toward a singular tile without moving it around and disrupting your ability to merge it with other large tiles when the time comes. The key, however, is to understand that this limits your movements. In my case, that means I should only be swiping to the direction of my corner -- that is, left and upward -- to merge tiles. Never pull in the opposite direction of your largest tile -- meaning down for an upper left or right tile and up for lower left or right tile -- unless you absolutely have to. In most cases, that's never needed. This strategy hits a snag early on though when you discover that using two directions exclusively reaches gridlock pretty fast. A gridlock position people hit early in 2048 if they employ the necessary corner strategy of moving in only two directions. (Credit: Screenshot by Nick Statt/CNET) The solution here is to move in the opposite direction of your largest tile one space and then up one space. Then you can resume the two-direction strategy. The pivotal point is to make sure that you have four tiles in the row containing your highest multiple. Without that, you run the risk of having a low two tile take up the space next to your largest one, a chance occurrence that proves near fatal to a play-through. In 2048, as opposed to Threes, the new tile can show up in a random spot but is exclusively a two or four tile, making building new multiples extremely easy once you have the space to do so, but awful if it shows up next to larger ones in your top row. There are exceptions to this where you'll see that it's evident you have an opportunity to combine tiles and move things around a little more deliberately for a more efficient progression. Meaning, the over-once-up-once strategy can be modified for moving to the right twice, or up twice, or any combination of those alternative moves to achieve a more compact board. However, early on you shouldn't have the need to do that as long as you keep aggressively pushing toward the corner, moving right and then up when necessary. The automatic beginning This introduces an interesting aspect to 2048. If you can just abide by a simple directional strategy almost without thinking what numbers are involved, that means you can practically automate the first 25 percent to 40 percent of a winning play-through without running the risk of messing up your game at all. It's more difficult to do on mobile, given that you're swiping your finger, but on the desktop version you can literally mash buttons and watch as 2048 practically solves itself, making you look a bit like a numerical wizard in the process. Automating your 2048 game You do of course have to be careful when you solve the gridlock problem that you don't overdo the directional movements opposite your largest multiple. Still, it's a surefire way to get past the drudgery of the early game and onto the challenging parts that arise after you get a 512 tile and start attempting to build a second one. Late-game hurdles On your way toward a 1024 tile and beyond, the game will begin to require a different, more-risky strategy. It's recognizing that shift, noted by the fact that your board may begin to fill up less like an arrow and more like a two-row rectangle, that will help you maximize space and achieve a 2048. For instance, if you're dealing with the unfortunate circumstance of a rectangular block and you can't move left or right or even up, there are ways to get out that involve breaking the above mentioned rule of never moving opposite the location of your largest tile. In this scenario, a three-row block can be solved by making the otherwise ill-advised decision to pull downward, but quickly creating an opportunity to put the two highest tiles back in the corner. (Credit: Screenshots by Nick Statt/CNET) There are issues you'll encounter late in the game that have to approached on a case-by-case basis, but they can be boiled down to a few simple rules. Never let the 2s build up, and do your best to turn them into 4s and 8s by moving only upward. if you're running into gridlock issues due to a small amount of large-numbered tiles and no way to combine them, try going from right to left and back again to quickly build 8s and 16s. The tactic is also great for placing a number in a certain position by crowding it on the right and left with 2s and 4s so that you can then combine it upward. Most importantly, never compromise your position on the board to combine tiles, as they will combine naturally if you move toward your highest-numbered tile. Only actively attempt to combine tiles by moving away from the direction of your corner when you know the corner tile can be kept in place. When you do finish the game, you're given the opportunity to continue on and keep scoring, perhaps even earning a second 2048 and creating a 4056. But for most of us, finally reaching the titular tile is enough to put this game to rest, especially so in a year when addictive mobile titles have been ravaging the psyche. So use these tips, and may you hopefully find solace, through victory, from the grip of 2048. Related Links:

Meet Sony's 'Project Morpheus'[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 17:18:18 EDT ]Virtual reality, the emerging 3D technology many expect to be the next quantum leap in the video gaming world, just got a little more real.

Your first tweet was ...[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:23:22 EDT ]Unless you have a photographic memory or just joined Twitter last week, you probably don't recall your first tweet.

Instagram's favorite grandma[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 18:24:38 EDT ]I once uploaded an Instagram of me at Old Navy trying to get all kissy-face with a mannequin. At the time it seemed like a good idea, but she was rather unresponsive.

New app helps you avoid exes[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:23:50 EDT ]After moving to New York, Brian Moore could not stop running into his ex-girlfriend. There were four awkward and unplanned encounters in six months, to be exact.

New app helps you avoid friends, exes[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 12:03:28 EDT ]After moving to New York, Brian Moore could not stop running into his ex-girlfriend. There were four awkward and unplanned encounters in six months, to be exact.

E.T. Can't Phone Home Yet: Landfill Search for Atari Game Halted[ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 23:30:29 GMT ]New Mexico environmental regulators are blocking two companies from digging up an Alamogordo landfill in search of a rumored cache of what some consider the worst Atari video game of all time.Game cartridges for "E.T.

Twitter Blocked Nationwide in Turkey: Reports[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 00:01:33 GMT ]Twitter has reportedly been blocked throughout Turkey in what appears to be a government-initiated shutdown following through on the threats of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Twitter has offered alternative modes of access as it looks into the issue.

Satellite Data Dump Slows Hunt for Traces of Missing Plane[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 00:32:37 GMT ]A satellite-imagery company said on Thursday that the sheer number of pictures covering a large swath of ocean explains why it took days to reveal what could be debris from the Malaysia Airlines jetliner that has been missing for nearly two weeks.DigitalGlobe Inc., a Longmont, Colo.

Megaupload's Kim Dotcom Loses Round in Fight Against Extradition[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 01:03:45 GMT ]WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom on Friday suffered another blow to his fight against extradition to the United States to face online piracy charges after New Zealand's highest court rejected his appeal to access evidence to be presented at the hearing.

Why Turkey's Leader Has Vowed to 'Eradicate' Twitter[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 08:31:37 GMT ]ISTANBUL, Turkey — Turkey has blocked Twitter hours after the prime minister vowed he’d “eradicate” the popular social media site.A controversial new internet law passed last month allows the country’s telecommunications authority to order content removed within hours without a court order.

Mt. Gox finds 200,000 missing bitcoins in unused wallet[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 02:49:07 GMT ] (Credit: Bitcoin) Mt. Gox has discovered 200,000 missing bitcoins in a wallet no longer in use, the troubled Bitcoin exchange announced Thursday, reducing the number of missing bitcoins from 850,000 to 650,000. "We believed there were no bitcoins left in old wallets, but found 199,999.99 bitcoins on March 7," Mt. Gox Chief Executive Officer Mark Karpeles said in a document (PDF) released Thursday. Mt. Gox said it reported the discovery to attorneys on March 8 and moved the newfound bitcoins to offline storage. Related stories Mt. Gox update lets users see their Bitcoin balances New Bitcoin glitch: Blockchain suffers hours-long outage Dorian Nakamoto: Bitcoin was not my baby, period Once one of the largest and most popular Bitcoin exchanges, Mt. Gox filed for bankruptcy last month, saying it had lost nearly 750,000 customer bitcoins, as well as 100,000 of the exchange's own bitcoins, as a result of a security lapse. The discovery of the overlooked bitcoins apparently occurred before hackers hijacked and defaced Karpeles' Reddit account and personal blog with charges of fraud earlier this month. Hackers accused the exchange of secretly keeping some of the coins allegedly stolen in the fraudulent withdrawals and posted data allegedly lifted from Mt. Gox servers they said backed up their claims. The data purportedly showed that 951,116 bitcoins had been deposited with the exchange, more than 100,000 more than Mt. Gox claimed to have lost. The troubled exchange suspended customer withdrawals on February 7, claiming a fundamental flaw existed in Bitcoin that affected all transactions. Not long afterward, the exchange shut down altogether. Although Mt. Gox later apologized for the issue and said it had developed a workaround that would allow it to resume service, customers are still unable to make withdrawals. Related Links:Bitcoin losses spur Mt. Gox to bankruptcy filingMt. Gox CEO's blog hacked; alleged Bitcoin balances postedMt. Gox resigns from Bitcoin Foundation BoardHey, Mt. Gox: I want my two dollars! (or my .02 bitcoin)Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox offline amid 'insolvency' charges

Survey names LinkedIn chief top-rated CEO, Zuckerberg falls to No. 9[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 07:01:00 GMT ] LinkedIn's CEO Jeff Weiner (left) chats with Demo chairman Matt Marshall at the 2010 Demo conference. (Credit: Josh Lowensohn/CNET) Leading a professional networking site must mean you know your p's and q's and have some social grace. So, it makes sense that LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner is beloved by his employees. In fact, Weiner is so well-liked that he has been crowned the highest-rated CEO for 2014. The honors come via hundreds of thousands of employee surveys across all industries submitted to company-review site Glassdoor. Every year, the site tallies up the votes and publishes the rankings of the 50 highest-rated CEOs in the US for companies with at least 1,000 employees (see full list below). This year, Weiner received a "perfect 100 percent approval rating," according to Glassdoor. Last year's winner, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, fell several spots to No. 9 overall -- down from a 99 percent approval rating to 93 percent. Weiner took the helm of LinkedIn in 2009, after being Yahoo's Network Division executive vice president. He has since seen the professional networking site go public and swell its member base to 259 million users. Over the past year, Weiner has focused on new strategies like emphasizing content and mobile apps to attract a wider variety of business users. In December, LinkedIn was also voted the No. 3 best company to work for in the US. "The CEO is what helps spread the culture. He emphasizes culture," one LinkedIn associate Web developer wrote of Weiner on Glassdoor. "Colleagues are top notch as developers, collaborators, and acquaintances. Leadership is excellent. Perks are amazing," another LinkedIn employee wrote. Related stories $7,000-per-month tech interns are making bank, says report What are the weirdest interview questions from tech companies? Twitter tops charts as best tech company to work for Apple, Google, Facebook don't pay the highest engineer salary Nokia, Yahoo rank among top companies for work-life balance Of the Top 50 highest-rated CEOs, 14 come from tech companies, including Google's Larry Page in 10th place, Salesforce's Marc Benioff in 12th place, Apple's Tim Cook in 17th place, Amazon's Jeff Bezos in 32nd place, and more. This makes tech the top industry represented on the list. Last year, 20 tech CEOs made the list, but a few have dropped off, such as Oracle's Larry Ellison and Dell's Michael Dell. This year, a female tech CEO also made the Top 50: Yahoo's Marissa Mayer squeezed in at No. 49 with a 79 percent approval rating. "Marissa is cool and taking bold steps to move the needle," a Yahoo senior developer wrote on Glassdoor. "Presently she has tail winds beneath her wings. Good for general morale." While Glassdoor's list is a survey, it's voluntary rather than scientific. The figures come from employees who actively go to Glassdoor's site to rate their companies and bosses. Glassdoor said this Top 50 CEOs report includes only CEOs who received at least 100 employee ratings over the past year. The average CEO approval rating on Glassdoor for all CEOs is roughly 65 percent to 70 percent. (Credit: Glassdoor) Related Links:LinkedIn launches in China$7,000-per-month tech interns are making bank, says reportObama's commerce secretary to petition Silicon Valley on jobsChange this LinkedIn setting before starting your job searchYahoo launches its rumored integration with Yelp

Obama to meet again with tech leaders over surveillance[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 07:10:17 GMT ] President Obama met at the White House with top tech execs last December, including Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer. (Credit: Official White House Photo by Pete Souza) President Obama plans to meet with a select group of technology CEOs on Friday to discuss "issues of privacy, technology, and intelligence," a White House official told Politico. A full list of chief executives was not made available by the White House, but industry sources told Politico that Google, Facebook, and Yahoo had been invited to the meeting. CNET has contacted those companies for comment on their participation and will update this report when we learn more. It's the second such meeting Obama has held with Silicon Valley executives in recent months over the controversial US electronic surveillance programs. During a meeting in December with the president over ways to improve the beleaguered Healthcare.gov Web site, a collection of tech leaders that included Apple CEO Tim Cook, Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, and Twitter CEO Dick Costolo urged the president to move swiftly on reforming the federal government's surveillance programs. One of the chief executives expected to attend Friday's meeting is Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg, who one week ago said he telephoned Obama to express his frustration over the National Security Agency's surveillance practices. Zuckerberg's call came after documents leaked by whistle-blower Edward Snowden revealed that the NSA uses an automated system called Turbine to hack into millions of computers. A frequent critic of the NSA, Zuckerberg wrote in an update to his Facebook page that the company he founded was working to identify flaws in others' services to "keep the Internet strong" but said that the US government needed to be "much more transparent about what they're doing." Related stories Gmail: Encryption is now mandatory NSA top lawyer says tech giants knew about data collection NSA can reportedly record every call made in a foreign country "I've been so confused and frustrated by the repeated reports of the behavior of the US government. When our engineers work tirelessly to improve security, we imagine we're protecting you against criminals, not our own government," Zuckerberg said. Google CEO Larry Page added his criticism on Wednesday during the TED conference in Vancouver, saying that it was "tremendously disappointing that the government sort of secretly did all these things and didn't tell us." "I don't think we can have a democracy if we have to protect our users from the government [and] from stuff that we never had a conversation about," he said. "We need to know what the parameters of it is, what the surveillance is going to do, and how and why." Related Links:British spy agency stored Yahoo Webcam images, report saysWhite House faces options for regulating NSA data snooping -- reportNSA top lawyer says tech giants knew about data collectionIBM: No, we did not help NSA spy on customersSnowden at SXSW: The NSA set fire to the future of the Internet

Transcend curries 4K favor with faster SD cards[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 11:26:05 GMT ] Transcend's Extreme model of UHS-1 Class 3 SD card has read speeds of 95MBps, write speeds of 85MBps, and a maximum capacity of 64GB. (Credit: Transcend) Memory card maker Transcend announced higher-speed SD cards on Friday that are geared for videographers shooting high-resolution 4K video. The Transcend's new SDHC and SDXC cards are graded UHS-1 Class 3 and come in two varieties. The "Extreme" models have read and write speeds of 95MBps and 85MBps, respectively. The non-extreme models have read and write speeds of 95MBps and 60MBps, respectively. The newer UHS-1 (Ultra High Speed) Class 3 specification requires sustained write performance of 30MBps. Related stories Toshiba announces Exceria line of high-speed SD cards Need room for 4,000 photos? Try SanDisk's 128GB SD card Lexar deals out a 600X hand of SDXC memory cards Lexar's flash card reader supports USB 3, SDXC Yes, SD card categorization is a bottomless pit of acronyms. Here are two more: SDHC and SDXC, which govern maximum capacity. SDHC models top out at 32GB capacity, but SDXC can go much, much higher. Transcend's SDXC models reach 128GB, enough for 8 hours of UltraHD video shot at a resolution of 4096x2160, with a 35Mbps bitrate and the H.264 AVC compression standard. The Extreme models top out at 64GB, though. Trandscend's SDXC Extreme models cost $59 for 32GB and $119 for 64GB. The somewhat slower models cost $49 for 64GB and $109 for 128GB. The SD Card Association's attempt to demystify their flash cards' transfer-speed ratings. (Credit: SD Card Association) Related Links:Tight on memory? SanDisk microSD cards hit 128GBTranscend gives Mac Pro a 128GB memory upgrade optionSynology flagship DSM 5.0 NAS operating system now liveGet Password Depot password manager (Win) for freeSound bite: Despite Pono's promise, experts pan HD audio

Moto 360 will use sapphire glass, wireless charging, report says[ Fri, 21 Mar 2014 11:28:56 GMT ] A photo of the Moto 360. (Credit: Motorola) Motorola has touted the premium materials for its upcoming Moto 360 smartwatch, which could include a step-up in material for its face. Related stories Voice is not enough: Motion is key to Android Wear Moto 360 smartwatch to ship in limited quantity, says report Motorola unveils Android Wear-powered Moto 360 Google's Project Tango phone rocks four cameras Motorola punches up phones with college colors, designs The Moto 360 could employ a sapphire glass face, according to G for Games. In addition, the site reported that the Moto 360 could also use an OLED display, as well as magnetic induction wireless charging. CNET has contacted a Motorola representative for comment, and we'll update the story when the company responds. These rumored details seem to fit in with what Motorola has hinted at with the Moto 360. Sapphire is often used in watches, and is a premium material that would set the Moto 360 apart from other devices. Other smartwatches, like smartphones, have used Corning's Gorilla Glass. The idea of wireless charging was already speculated upon when Motorola confirmed there would be no USB port for charging. Jim Wicks, the Motorola executive in charge of the Moto 360, would only say that the company was working on a "secret" method of charging the device. OLED display technology, meanwhile, is commonly used in smartphones, and has been touted for its energy efficiency. Wicks wouldn't go into detail, but noted that power management was a priority for the company. Related Links:Corning exec slams sapphire -- rumored for Apple deviceMotorola wants in on the smartwatch game, too -- and soonMoto 360 smartwatch to ship in limited quantity, says reportMoto G coming to Republic WirelessMotorola unveils Android Wear-powered Moto 360

TED celebrates 30 years[ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 11:18:51 EDT ]Celebrate TED's thirtieth birthday with some of its top moments.

'Flappy Bird' will fly back to app stores[ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 05:32:55 EDT ]Let the flapless among us take heart. "Flappy Bird," the now defunct mobile sensation, will one day rise like a phoenix and fling itself awkwardly into an app store near you.

Twitter unearths your first tweet[ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 16:49:36 EDT ]Unless you have a photographic memory or just joined Twitter last week, you probably don't recall your first tweet.

Meet Sony's 'Project Morpheus'[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 17:18:18 EDT ]Virtual reality, the emerging 3D technology many expect to be the next quantum leap in the video gaming world, just got a little more real.

Twitter unearths your first tweet[ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 16:49:36 EDT ]Unless you have a photographic memory or just joined Twitter last week, you probably don't recall your first tweet.

At TED, Vision of the 'Internet of Things' Takes Shape[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 23:01:33 GMT ]A day will come when ovens recognize the food placed inside them and automatically cook the dish according to their owners’ preferences.

HP CEO Meg Whitman on 3-D Printing: 'We're on the Case'[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 23:47:44 GMT ]SAN FRANCISCO — Hewlett-Packard Co. will outline plans to enter the commercial 3-D printing market in June, saying it has solved a number of technical problems that have hindered broader adoption of the high-tech manufacturing process.

Marathon Bombing Survivor Rumbas on MIT 'Dancing Leg'[ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 00:49:29 GMT ]A professional dancer who lost her left leg below the knee in the Boston Marathon bombings danced on Wednesday for the first time since the blasts.Adrianne Haslet-Davis danced the rumba to Enrique Iglesias’ “Ring My Bells” at the TED conference in Vancouver, B.C.

$500,000 in Bitcoin Just Bought Someone a Villa in Bali[ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 00:49:29 GMT ]A brand-new villa on the southern coast of Bali has just changed hands — for somewhere above 800 bitcoins. In what appears to be the largest real-world-money purchase in bitcoin's history, an anonymous buyer has picked up a new house for the cryptocurrency equivalent of about $500,000.

'Revenge Porn' Site Ordered to Pay Ohio Woman $385,000[ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 01:35:47 GMT ]The founders of a so-called "revenge porn" site were ordered by a federal judge in Ohio to pay almost $400,000 to a woman who said the site posted nude pictures of her when she was a minor.U.S. District Judge Gregory L. Frost entered a default judgment Tuesday against Kevin C.

Revenge porn site operators ordered to pay woman $385K[ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 04:30:06 GMT ] The founders of a revenge porn site have been ordered to pay a woman $385,000 for posting sexually explicit images of her on their Web site. U.S. District Judge Gregory L. Frost entered the default judgment Tuesday against Eric Chanson and Kevin Bollaert, who ran You Got Posted, a Web site that allegedly posted more than 10,000 sexually explicit photographs of individuals without their permission and then demanded payment for removal of the images. The unidentified plaintiff sued the pair last May in Ohio after discovering "sexually explicit images" of herself on the site that were taken when she was underage. Tuesday's judgment included $150,000 for each of the child pornography claims, $10,000 for violating the woman's "right of publicity," and $75,000 in punitive damages, according to Marc Randazza, the plaintiff's attorney in the case. Randazza, who referred to the defendants as "scumbags" in a blog post Tuesday, said the judgment should put the operators of revenge porn sites on notice. "The message this $385,000 judgment sends to people who run revenge porn sites is unambiguous," Randazza wrote. "These sites irreparably harm their victims, and often without any criminal action against them. In this case, a civil suit allowed our client to obtain justice against the people who exploited her." Related stories 'Revenge porn' site operator arrested on hacking charges Alleged 'revenge porn' Web site operator arrested in California Post 'revenge porn' in California and you may go to jail Defendants in the case could not be reached for comment. Bollaert was arrested last December and charged with 31 felony counts of conspiracy, identity theft, and extortion related to You Got Posted, which allowed users to anonymously post private photographs containing nude and explicit images of individuals without their permission, prosecutors allege in court documents. The site required uploaded images be accompanied by the subject's full name, address, age, and social media profiles, according to the criminal complaint. Victims wanting their images and information removed from the site were directed to a second Web site Bollaert created called changemyreputation.com, where they could pay $250 to $350 to have their information removed, according to court documents. Between December 2012 and September 2013, Bollaert collected more than $10,000 from victims wishing to have their images and information removed from ugotposted.com, prosecutors allege. [Via Ars Technica ] Related Links:Twitter prohibits posting of sexually explicit videos on VineControversy after cops' aggressive arrest of jogger wearing earbudsBritish spy agency stored Yahoo Webcam images, report saysFacebook's Hot Mom enjoys more cold staresMan, mad at Internet seller, texts him Shakespeare (all of it)

White House embarks on climate change mapping project[ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 04:58:00 GMT ] NOAA's real-time nowCoast mapping portal is available on the White House's Climate Data Initiative. (Credit: NOAA) The White House wants people and communities to be prepared for extreme weather events spurred by climate change, like coastal flooding, hurricanes, and wildfires. So, it's making data sets and maps from some of the country's top agencies available to the public in it's newly launched "Climate Data Initiative." The maps and data sets are being collected in one Web site, data.gov/climate, which is full of open government data on the country's infrastructure and geographical features, like bridges, roads, tunnels, canals, and river gauges. The information comes from agencies such as NASA, NOAA, the Department of Defense, and the US Geological Survey. Obama administration adviser John Podesta and White House science adviser John Holdren are leading the initiative. They called on tech innovators on Wednesday to use the data sets to help build interactive maps and data-driven simulations that could help people plan for natural disasters. According to Podesta and Holdren, extreme weather events racked up more than $110 billion in damages and killed more than 300 people in the US in 2012. "While no single weather event can be attributed to climate change, we know that our changing climate is making many kinds of extreme events more frequent and more severe," they wrote in a White House blog post. "Rising seas threaten our coastlines. Dry regions are at higher risk of destructive wildfires. Heat waves impact health and agriculture. Heavier downpours can lead to damaging floods." Related stories NASA shows 60 years of climate change in 15 seconds LA Times cuts off climate-change deniers One (alleged) cause of climate change you've never heard of Guess what? Global warming is real, and it's our fault Al Gore: Let's 'put a price on carbon' Several companies have already expressed interest in joining the initiative. Mapping software company Esri said it will partner with 12 US cities to create free and open "maps and apps" that will help local governments plan for natural disasters. And, Google said it would pitch in one petabyte of cloud storage for the data sets, along with 50 million hours of high-performance computing with its Google Earth Engine platform. "By taking the enormous data sets regularly collected by NASA, NOAA, and other agencies and applying the ingenuity, creativity, and expertise of technologists and entrepreneurs, the Climate Data Initiative will help create easy-to-use tools for regional planners, farmers, hospitals, and businesses across the country -- and empower America's communities to prepare themselves for the future," Podesta and Holdren wrote. Currently the Climate Data Initiative is in pilot phase, so the data sets are limited to coastal flooding and sea level rise. But over time more data and tools will become available, such as information on health risks, food supply, and energy infrastructure.Related Links:Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker friends Silicon ValleyGoogle Maps Gallery debuts as Web's interactive digital atlasWhite House faces options for regulating NSA data snooping -- report15 space organizations join hunt for missing Malaysian jetThe Web at 25: How it won the White House -- and won me back

Not tonight, darling, I'm online shopping[ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 05:45:00 GMT ] "Not tonight, darling, I just don't want to listen to you." (Credit: Amazon/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET) I know that Nancy Reagan always encouraged us to "just say no." But it's not easy, is it? Some people can be terribly insistent, nagging even. Some can sulk or get aggressive. Thankfully, it seems that Americans have found a new way to tell their significant others that they don't have a significant mood for sex: they say they're busy online shopping. You might think I'm making it up. And I might think that people who create these surveys are making it up too. All I can tell you is that the cashback rewards site EBates commissioned TNS to perform a study among 1,000 American adults that emitted fascinating conclusions. Some 10 percent of women say they use their mobile devices -- and the excuse of shopping on them -- to deter their lovers from getting amorous. But here's the nugget that might astound even more: 13 percent of men admitted to doing the same thing. I confess that I hadn't considered online shopping as a means of expressing emotions toward another person. I certainly couldn't imagine telling a lover that I wasn't feeling carnal because I was trying to decide which pair of camel boots to buy. And you'll forgive me, I hope, if I mention that survey respondents often seem to have enjoyed a touch too much Bacardi. But for some people mobile shopping has become the equivalent of the invented headache. It brings with it the luxury of not being forced to take a couple of Advil, in the hope that this will somehow lift your libido. This splendidly twisted survey, performed between March 14 and 17, further offered that passive-aggressive shopping is also directed at annoying co-workers, annoying people on public transit and, of course, annoying in-laws. More Technically Incorrect Samsung: iPad's bad, Surface is a joke, and Kindle's a swindle How to issue your own emotional Bitcoin Man, mad at Internet seller, texts him Shakespeare (all of it) Glasshole heaven: Hotel offers free drink if you wear Glass This is how much you get on Google's nerves The original purpose of this survey was merely to examine mobile shopping habits. It seems that 45 percent of Americans use their mobile devices to shop -- and 10 percent claim they do it daily. Perhaps these are the 10 percent who stand in front of me at Starbucks desperately waving their phones at the scanner, only to get more reaction out of the whipped cream on their frappuccino. Tellingly, 49 percent of the respondents in this survey confessed that shopping on their mobile device cures boredom while they're waiting in line. And 24 percent somehow couple mobile shopping with watching reality TV. Perhaps Americans are just frightfully confused. (No "perhaps" about it) In essence, though, what is the difference between sex and online shopping? In the latter, it's much harder to haggle. Related Links:Three important things you should know about cashback servicesWomen prefer Apple, gentlemen prefer SamsungOn Facebook, good (and bad) moods are infectiousCould selfies be pushing more Americans to plastic surgery?When will retailers jump on the iBeacon bandwagon?

Google lets you launch Android camera by voice command[ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 10:19:18 GMT ] A new feature lets Android users issue a voice command to launch their phone camera app in photo or video mode. (Credit: screenshot by Stephen Shankland/CNET) An update to Google's search app lets Android users launch their phone's camera, in photo or video mode, with a voice command. "With the Google Search App on Android, you can just tap the microphone or say 'OK Google,' then 'take a photo' or 'take a video.' Google will launch your camera app in the preferred mode," Google said in a Google+ post on Wednesday night. Related stories Sony steps closer to VR with Project Morpheus Voice is not enough: Motion is key to Android Wear Moto 360 smartwatch to ship in limited quantity, says report Sony kicks off Android 4.4 KitKat rollout across Xperia line Tech to enhance March Madness I couldn't get it to work with video in my test today on a Nexus 5, but the "take a picture" and "take a photo" commands worked, presenting a choice of installed camera apps to finish the command. For the command to work, most people will have to first launch the search app, which means pulling up from the bottom of the screen on most phones and swiping left from the home screen on a Google Nexus 5. That's potentially a lot harder than just tapping the camera icon. But don't consider today's interface to be done. The Touchless Control feature on some Motorola phones is always listening for the words "OK Google," and that approach could spread widely especially as devices like smartwatches and Google Glass spread the idea of voice controls. Via the unofficial Google Operating System blog Related Links:Google unveils Android Wear, its modified OS for wearablesGoogle to launch SDK for Android wearables in two weeksLG to launch G Watch with Android WearVoice is not enough: Motion is key to Android WearMozilla's $25 Firefox OS: It's real, and it works

Sony's Project Morpheus makes big bet on body tracking[ Thu, 20 Mar 2014 11:00:00 GMT ] Sony's Project Morpheus headset is used in conjunction with two PlayStation Move controllers for a sword-fighting demo called The Castle. (Credit: Josh Miller/CNET) There's one pivotal difference right now between the two most promising, best developed virtual reality headset prototypes, forming a simultaneously technical and philosophical barrier. Oculus VR, while exclusively focused on smooth tracking and optics, has made an open-source darling out of its Oculus Rift headset, turning a radical crowdfunding idea into the face of an emerging industry. Its openness has spawned a movement with a wide breadth of third-party spinoffs, from the Virtuix Omni to countless motion-tracking suits and handsets. Its final, relatively affordable development kit -- announced Wednesday at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco -- ahead of its official release will continue to accelerate the growth of that community. Sony's Project Morpheus, in the works since 2010 and unveiled at GDC on Tuesday, has crafted an equally amazing and immersive experience. Not only is it just as comfortable -- in some respects more so for a glasses wearer I noticed -- but it's also a smooth experience almost on par with Oculus' Dev Kit 2, which has had a more thoroughly field-tested development approach this past year. (Credit: Josh Miller/CNET) More importantly, however, Sony has baked in from the get-go a promise to make virtual reality (VR) a full-body affair, using PlayStation Move controllers in conjunction with the PlayStation Camera to get you moving around the room and swinging your arms like a madman. The results, still as early and limited as prototype demos can get, are both breathtaking and hilariously fun. The catch: Morpheus looks locked to the PlayStation platform, with no foreseeable exit from that proprietary strategy. Sony unveils Project Morpheus virtual-reality headset (pictures) 1-2 of 25 Scroll Left Scroll Right That difference -- a locked-down approach compared with an open-source one -- creates an interesting dynamic for the VR industry as it moves forward. Is a unified platform like Sony's the best way to bring this wild promise of the future to fruition with all the bells and whistles of motion tracking intact? Or is opening it up while buckling down and honing the focus -- as Oculus is doing with its headset -- a smarter decision, with the caveat being putting your trust in others to build out accessories and their feature sets? Those questions form the crux of how consumer VR comes to market. Sony seems intent on gambling that we'll not only want to strap on a goofy face-computer, but we'll also want to stand up in our living room and get physical. That may not be the best move to make when it comes to selling your everyday gamer on the potentially nausea-inducing, commercially untested notion of sitting for hours on end in a different reality. Maybe an Oculus Rift that just works with a controller, sitting down, will be more persuasive at first than a headset, dual motion-tracking controller, and camera bundle. Developers now have access to Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2 (pictures) 1-2 of 5 Scroll Left Scroll Right While it's incredibly early, with consumer models of neither Morpheus nor Oculus likely to come for some time, one thing is certain: Body tracking is an inevitable extension of VR. Sony is upfront in that respect, showing us exactly why we'll finally want to consider combining what have been up until now miserably peripheral accessories into unique gaming experiences. Take, for example, one of the more impressive Morpheus demos here at GDC. The Castle, a medieval-themed sword demo, showed the full capabilities of combining Morpheus with two Move controllers. Not only do you get the precision of a Wii Motion Plus, giving you accurate wrist tracking die-hard Zelda fans can respect, but your entire body is tracked based off the location of your head and hands. It sounds gimmicky, but is remarkably responsive on the level of Kinect play that, when combined with VR, momentarily convinces you you're experiencing something truly groundbreaking instead of the combination of existing technologies in an unprecedented package. (Credit: Josh Miller/CNET) In one instance, I stepped to the left in physical space and picked up a sword out of the ground with my right hand, doing so by pulling the trigger of the Move controller as I reached down. Stepping forward, I used my left hand to grab hold of a straw dummy's left arm and proceeded to chop it off with the sword hand, requiring a significant and worry-inducing amount of force in my swing. There I was left with a disembodied arm that I could now swing back and forth and even smack around the dummy with. All this, of course, was directed by the subtle nudging of the Morpheus demo assistant. After all, not much in VR is intuitive when you don't know where the precision is cranked up. Therein lies a strange sensation: Sony's body tracking is spectacular, but it's also limited by what our brains think we can and cannot do in a virtual space where tracking is precise for some parts of the body -- the hands and head -- and wonky and downright weird for everything else, namely your location in physical space. Related stories: Epic Games opens Unreal Engine 4 to public for $19 a month Get a smartphone-controlled RC race car for $39.99 Titanfall for Xbox 360 pushed back to April 8 Watch what's in store for Android Wear GamePop regroups for spring, signs Ubisoft, Warners Often during The Castle, I was disoriented by using my body as a function of my in-game location as I would swing my arm and be told repeatedly that I was too far away. And the demo assistant had to make sure to remove my backpack from behind me lest I take a tumble through the lightly constructed booth wall. It introduces a necessary reality-check. VR is likely not to develop on a clean, straight-forward track, no matter how friendly Sony and Oculus play together. You'll have different games, designed for different levels of immersion, motion control, and body orientation, along with ported games designed to take advantage of only certain functionalities and accessories. It's going to be a chaotic space that, while great for the acceleration of the tech, will prove to be a nightmare for anyone hoping to design cohesive, multiplatform experiences for VR. Eve Valkyrie is a great example of a game that's trying and has universal enough mechanics to pull it off, but it won't be easy for titles outside a seated, first-person shooter. That leaves users in the precarious position of not knowing exactly what we'll need to buy or even want to have when all of this begins rolling out, and puts pressure on both the hardware and software sides of VR to figure out how far we're willing to take this at first. So while Sony is pushing aggressive technology under the PlayStation helm, Oculus' simple "sit-down and enjoy the future" approach -- with open source add-ons left up to you -- may be an easier pill to swallow. Related Links:Can Sony's Project Morpheus finally bring virtual reality to home console gaming?Join CNET on Tuesday for Sony's PlayStation GDC eventRide the Oculus Rift to outer space!Oculus Rift Dev Kit 2 now on sale for $350Sony steps closer to VR with Project Morpheus

Wounded boy gets 3-D printed arm[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 10:42:34 EDT ]Artificial limbs made by 3-D printing are changing the lives of amputees in Sudan.

Google's plans for your wrist[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 11:54:01 EDT ]Kristie Lu Stout talks to Nilay Patel of The Verge about Google's new software for wrist devices, Android Wear

'Flappy Bird' will fly back to app stores[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 16:50:19 EDT ]Let the flapless among us take heart. "Flappy Bird," the now defunct mobile sensation, will one day rise like a phoenix and fling itself awkwardly into an app store near you.

Meet Sony's 'Project Morpheus'[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 17:18:18 EDT ]Virtual reality, the emerging 3D technology many expect to be the next quantum leap in the video gaming world, just got a little more real.

Sony goes virtual with 'Project Morpheus' [ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 17:21:10 EDT ]Virtual reality, the emerging 3D technology many expect to be the next quantum leap in the video gaming world, just got a little more real.

Apple CEO Tim Cook Blasts New Book on Company As 'Nonsense'[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 21:45:25 GMT ]Apple CEO Tim Cook has issued a statement about a new book about the tech giant called, "Haunted Empire," saying it is "nonsense" and fails to capture Apple or former CEO and Co-Founder Steve Jobs.

Android Wear: 5 Things We Know, 5 We Don't[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:16:27 GMT ]Just how will the new smartwatches powered by Google's Android operating system look, feel and function?

IRS: Employee Took Home Personal Info on 20,000 Workers[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 22:47:29 GMT ]WASHINGTON — An Internal Revenue Service employee took home personal information on about 20,000 IRS workers, former workers and contractors, putting the data at risk for public release, the agency said Tuesday.

Pandora Raises Subscription Fees, Does Away With Annual Plan[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 00:20:34 GMT ]Pandora Media will increase fees for its ad-free music-streaming service by $1 a month to almost $5 a month in May, in a move to cover the rising cost of licensing tunes.

Sony Takes on Oculus Rift With 'Project Morpheus' VR Headset[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 01:38:10 GMT ]Sony announced a new virtual reality headset at the Game Development Conference in San Francisco on Tuesday, putting it in direct competition with crowdsourced favorite Oculus Rift. The sleek, futuristic device is known for now as "Project Morpheus.

'Smart tags' can sense when food or medicine go bad[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 02:36:39 GMT ] The green tag on the container indicates that the product inside is no longer fresh. (Credit: Chao Zhang) What if you never had to do a smell test for spoiled milk again? Instead of having to take a whiff of the sour liquid, you could just check the color of a small tag placed on the container. This is exactly what researchers at Peking University in Beijing, China, are working on: color-coded "smart tags." These corn kernel-sized tags can be stuck to containers of food or medicine and have the capabilities of determining whether the food has gone bad or if the medications are still active. What's more, these tags will reportedly cost less than one penny each. "This tag, which has a gel-like consistency, is really inexpensive and safe, and can be widely programmed to mimic almost all ambient-temperature deterioration processes in foods," lead researcher Chao Zhang said in a statement. While most food and medicine have expiration labels, sometimes products are subjected to unanticipated high temperatures that could lead to early spoiling. Zhang said the smart tags could even take these sorts of variables into account. The color-coding on the tags would indicate the quality of the food or medicine on a range of 100 percent fresh to 100 percent spoiled. Related stories This Android SmartWatch doesn't run Android Dish-Disney deal changes future of online TV Samsung reveals Galaxy S5 with new wearables What's the deal with WhatsApp? Belkin WeMo smart home networks in danger of hacks "In our configuration, red, or reddish orange, would mean fresh," Zhang said. "Over time, the tag changes its color to orange, yellow and later green, which indicates the food is spoiled." The science behind the tags is based on tiny non-toxic metallic nanorods that change color as they react to the length of time microbes grow in food. For example, "the gold nanorods we used are inherently red, which dictates the initial tag color," Zhang said. The smart tag research was presented on Monday at a national meeting of the American Chemical Society. The smart tags aren't yet available, but the Peking University researchers said they are currently in the process of reaching out to manufacturers.Related Links:Fresh Jawbone apps tackle the science of sounder sleepThe Web at 25: I was a teenage dial-up addictA beating patch of cells could mend broken heartsLet them eat Yoda: A geek food feast full of fun and failureFarmer's Fridge brings fruit, veggies to vending machines

Dropbox to bring personal and work account toggling in April[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 03:57:43 GMT ] Dropbox has focused on its Dropbox for Business product over the past year. (Credit: Screenshot by Donna Tam/CNET) Dropbox is said to soon be enabling an upcoming feature that lets users create distinct work and personal accounts without having to log in and out, according to The Verge. The tech news source got its hands on an email that Dropbox recently sent to its business users that said the company plans to launch the feature on April 9. The company originally announced the feature last November, but it's been unclear when it would roll out. Related stories Dropbox gets chatty and buys workplace chat service Zulip Why Google's price cut made the consumer cloud biz a lot cloudier BBM iOS, Android users can soon make free phone calls Google's Woodside said to be hired as Dropbox's new COO Dropbox snags $250M in funding at $10B valuation, says report Dropbox has increasingly geared its cloud storage service toward business customers. Last April, it launched Dropbox for Business, which allowed for a single sign-on feature. And, in November it announced a rebuild of Dropbox for Business that included the toggle feature for work and personal accounts. The cloud storage company boasts that it serves more than 4 million businesses and they save hundreds of millions of files every week. The company also says that 97 percent of the Fortune 500 companies also use the service. Dropbox is facing steep competition in the cloud storage market, however. While users reportedly tend to like the service, many complain the pricing is too high compared with competitors like Google Drive, Microsoft's SkyDrive, and Box. It's possible that Dropbox is working to appease the masses by rolling out new features like multiple accounts. CNET contacted Dropbox for comment. We'll update the story when we get more information.Related Links:Why Google's price cut made the consumer cloud biz a lot cloudierDropbox gets chatty and buys workplace chat service ZulipOneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box: Which cloud storage service is right for you?Box expects to make more than $200 million in revenueRealPlayer Cloud goes global

After rough IPO, concern for Apple supplier Japan Display[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 04:40:00 GMT ] The iPhone 5S uses a screen from Japan Display Inc. (Credit: Apple) Japan Display, the world's largest smartphone display supplier, had a rough IPO on Wednesday. When Japan Display (JDI) listed its shares in a $3.1 billion initial public offering Wednesday, the price at opening dropped 15 percent below the IPO price, as reported by Nikkei. This despite the fact that the IPO price of 900 yen (about $8.87) was at the lower end of the suggested IPO range, according to The Wall Street Journal. And the share price got as low as 706 yen on Wednesday. "The [IPO] pricing was wrong," Amir Anvarzadeh, director of Japan Equity Sales at BGC Partners, said in CNBC interview. Related stories iPhone 5C sales stall in China, report says Apple eyes fingerprint sensors to connect various devices "They're very focused on the smaller screens, low-temperature polysilicon, which is still good business," he said. JDI's low-temperature polysilicon technology is used in Apple's iPhone 5S display. "[But] in the case of small screens [and] low-temperature polysilicon, we're seeing the Taiwanese coming [on] and the Koreans have moved on to AMOLED," or active-matrix organic LED, according to Anvarzadeh. The latter is used by Samsung on its popular Galaxy smartphones, for example. JDI is a merger of the display businesses of Sony, Toshiba, and Hitachi, all of which had been crippled by losses in their respective small display businesses. The merger -- which received major financial backing and support from the Japanese government -- looked doomed at first, but eventually, in 2010, the company was formed. Subsequently, JDI became a major supplier of displays for Apple's iPhone. For the nine months through December, Japan Display reported a profit of 33.5 billion yen ($331 million), exceeding the previous full year profit by about 10 times, according to the Wall Street Journal. JDI has about 16 percent of the smartphone display market, the largest share of any one company. "The question mark is what happens after this year when [Taiwanese] companies like AU Optronics (AUO) begin to bring supply in?" Anvarzadeh asked, who said repeatedly during the interview that the Taiwanese are just now beginning to get their production yields to levels that are competitive with market leaders like JDI. Related Links:Apple's hiring binge could point to more iPhone developmentImagination, Apple graphics tech supplier, talks futureCheaper new 8GB iPhone 5C goes on saleDiscontinued iPad 4 may see return with 8GB iPhone 5CApple-Samsung silicon union still strong, chip expert says

Man, mad at Internet seller, texts him Shakespeare (all of it)[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 05:20:00 GMT ] He wrote a lot. (Credit: Bio/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET) Getting mad occasionally results in getting even, but often only in getting madder. Ultimately, the whole point of revenge isn't even to get even at all. It's to feel that you have. Edd Joseph needed to feel better about an internet transaction. As the Bristol Post declaims it, he bought a PS3 online for 80 British pounds (around $132) on the Gumtree site and the transaction went perfectly. Except for the tiny detail that he didn't receive his PS3. This he deemed an arrow of outrageous fortune. So he mulled and cogitated and pondered and thought therefore of revenge and ceased to weep. (Oh, it's "Henry VI," if you must know). The 24-year-old Joseph fell upon the realization that you can copy and paste things from the Web and send them as texts. He told the Post: "It got me thinking, 'what can I send to him,' which turned to 'what is a really long book,' which ended with me sending him 'Macbeth.'" Joseph was mad because he knew he couldn't get his money back. He'd paid by bank transfer (which is against Gumtree's terms and conditions.) On the other hand, he had an iPhone. He realized that with just one pressing of "send" he could text a whole play to his alleged scoundrel. So he cried havoc and let slip the dogs of war. One text for him was 792 texts for the receiving party. This was quite some dagger he saw before him. For he had an unlimited text plan, to complement his need to inflict pain. Why not send all Shakespeare's works? More Technically Incorrect Glasshole heaven: Hotel offers free drink if you wear Glass This is how much you get on Google's nerves Your new disease, America: Compulsive gadget-hoarding How to spy on your lover, the smartphone way Courtney Love: I may have found missing Malaysian plane Not all Shakespeare plays are the same length. "Hamlet" is the longest. Yes, that one would have amounted to 1,143 texts at the receiver's end. In total, Joseph hopes to complete his task of sending all Shakespeare's plays, which ought to result in 29,305 texts.(He says he's already sent 22 plays.) You might wonder whether the alleged bad guy responded. Joseph said: "I got the first reply after an hour, and then a few more abusive messages after that. His phone must have been going off pretty constantly for hours." This is not deterring Joseph. "I'm going to keep doing it. If nothing else I'm sharing a little bit of culture with someone who probably doesn't have much experience of it," he explained. There's one small part I don't quite grasp. If this story is as Joseph describes, why doesn't the seller just block his number? Perhaps he's afraid that parting will be sweet sorrow. Related Links:Exclusive cover peek at latest Ian Doescher 'Star Wars' parodyOne more thing: Opera mashes up Steve Jobs, ShakespeareThe Web at 25: I was a teenage dial-up addictDon't be a techhole: A common sense guide to tech courtesyThe one real problem with Republic Wireless

Oppo debuts world's first 5.5-inch Quad HD Find 7[ Wed, 19 Mar 2014 07:43:06 GMT ] Allen Wu, Oppo's vice president domestic (China) division, takes the stage to introduce the new handset. (Credit: Aloysius Low/CNET) BEIJING, China -- Priced at a reasonable $599, Oppo's latest Find 7 has just made its debut in China, and is the first to sport a 5.5-inch Quad HD display. QHD, not to be confused with qHD (960x540-pixels), has a resolution of 2,560x1440-pixels, which is more than four times as many pixels as you'll find on 720p TVs. If you're interested in the numbers, that's 538 pixels per inch (PPI), and you'll never have to worry about fuzzy fonts anymore. Apart from a super-sharp screen, the Find 7 comes packing a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor clocked at 2.5GHz, 3GB RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. Other specs include a 3,000mAh battery, a 13-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash. The Find 7 will support a wide range of LTE bands and should work in most countries as well as in China, Mexico and the U.S. The smartphone runs a custom firmware called ColorOS, that's based on Android 4.3 (Jelly Bean). The specs alone of the Find 7 are likely overkill for the average user, so Oppo will be offering a full-HD version (1,920x1,080-pixels) but it has less storage (16GB), a slightly slower quad-core processor (2.3GHz) and a 2,800mAh battery instead. Also announced at the event was a fitness band called O Band, which tracks your sleep patterns as well. The Find 7 and Find 7a will be available globally in mid-April and will retail for $599 and $499 respectively. Related Links:HTC announces new flagship mid-range Desire 816Leaked specs paint fuller picture for HTC Desire 8The chips of Samsung's Galaxy S5 -- Exynos and SnapdragonSony Xperia Tablet Z2 leak hints at thinner profile, KitKatYezz reveals two new Android smartphones for MWC

Things we learned at SXSWi[ Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:03:55 EDT ]Even when pared down to just its Interactive portion, South by Southwest can feel like a huge and amorphous thing -- sort of like, as director Hugh Forrest says, the Internet itself.

Robot band plays 'heavy metal'[ Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:31:10 EDT ]What has 78 fingers, 22 arms, and no brain? Answer: The coolest robot band you've ever seen.

Ripples in space-time revealed[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 13:45:15 EDT ]Scientists announced a breakthrough in understanding how our world as we know it came to be.

Forget texts ... send smells[ Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:04:13 EDT ]If the digital age has increased the volume of communication, it may not have improved the quality. That is the goal of a new generation of sensory engineers who are going beyond sight and sound to produce devices that use our untapped faculties, with the most exciting breakthroughs in olfaction.

Lego robot breaks Rubik's Cube record[ Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:31:31 EDT ]If you were never able to solve a Rubik's Cube without peeling off the stickers or prying it apart with a butter knife, you're really going to hate this robot.

Unnerving 900-Megapixel Portraits Seem to Stare Back[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 00:23:42 GMT ]Photography of the "gigapixel" order really hit the mainstream with the massive picture of President Obama's 2009 inauguration, in which individual faces were visible from a quarter mile away. But what if all those pixels were dedicated to just one face?

Dave and Busters Waitress Arrested in Credit Card Skimming Plot[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 00:54:25 GMT ]A waitress at a Dave and Busters restaurant in New York has been arrested along with three accomplices, accused of stealing customers' credit card information.

Missing Malaysian Airliner Scams Crop Up on Facebook[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 00:54:28 GMT ]Online scammers rarely let a big news event go by without trying to exploit it. The case of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared more than a week ago and still has not been found, is no exception.

Men from Ukraine, New York Charged in International Cybercrime Scheme[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 01:09:58 GMT ]Federal prosecutors on Monday announced the indictment of three men they accuse of being members of an international cybercrime ring that tried to steal at least $15 million by hacking into U.S. customer accounts at 14 financial institutions and the Department of Defense's payroll service.

Wal-Mart to Let Shoppers Exchange Used Videogames[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 11:57:52 GMT ]Wal-Mart will allow shoppers to trade in used videogames for anything from groceries to gadgets across its 3,100 stores from March 26, the nation's largest retailer said Tuesday.

iPad with Retina Display makes $399 comeback, knocks out iPad 2[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 10:19:42 GMT ] Back once again with the retina iPad. (Credit: Josh Miller/CNET) Apple's tweaked its iPad lineup Tuesday morning, bringing back the fourth-generation iPad with Retina display in place of the elderly iPad 2. Available with only 16GB of storage, Apple's US Web site lists the comeback tablet with either Wi-Fi only for $399, or Wi-Fi and cellular for $529. Apple CEO Tim Cook canned the Retina-enabled iPad last year when he launched the super-skinny iPad Air. The high-end iPad still starts at $499, while the Retina iPad Mini is still $399. It makes your buying decision fairly straightforward: $300 for the older, smaller iPad Mini; $400 for the nicer Retina Mini or the older Retina iPad; or $500 for the whiz-bang iPad Air. Then add $100 to double the storage, and $130 to add cellular data. Apple's biggest moments (pictures) 1-2 of 33 Scroll Left Scroll Right The Retina iPad is £329 in the UK, A$529 in Australia and 389 euros in Europe for the Wi-Fi only model. A new, cheaper version of the colorful plastic iPhone 5C also went on sale today, but so far it's only available in Europe, the UK, Australia and China.Related Links:Discontinued iPad 4 may see return with 8GB iPhone 5C'iPad Pro' iffy, Microsoft Office on iPad 'alive' in 2014: ReportsApple's hiring binge could point to more iPhone developmentFirst of 64-bit Windows 8.1 tablets arrives, this one from HPApple at work on full 4K display support in Mavericks, report says

In the age of wearable technology, don't forget who wears the trousers[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 10:24:34 GMT ] CuteCircuit's latest fashion line reminds us that wearable technology doesn't have to sacrifice beauty. (Credit: CuteCircuit ) From smartwatches to smart shoes, in the age of wearable technology computers are getting bigger and getting smaller at the same time -- but according to Intel future-gazer Steve Brown, the most important thing about a wearable device is the person doing the wearing. "Anything can become a computer," says futurist Steve Brown speaking at the Wearable Technology Show in London. Gazing into his crystal ball, he sees three things happening in technology: "Computing is becoming smaller, computing is becoming bigger, and computing is becoming more natural." How can computers get smaller and bigger at the same time? "Computers becoming smaller is the key thing," says Brown. As chips and computers shrink, "computers are getting closer to merging with us... computers are getting closer and closer to our brains." Google Glass gets a new look At the same time, computers are getting bigger -- somewhere. Huge data centres that can crunch huge numbers can connect to Google Glass, Samsung Gear or any device we carry or wear, and "the experience you get is that you have one of these giant computers on your wrist, on your eyes, on your feet," says Brown. Finally, our interaction with computers is becoming more natural. "For the first years of computing we have talked to computers in the way they need us to. But we're now in the era of touch, and we invented a whole new language to communicate with devices. We need to do that again for wearable devices." Be your best self But the success of wearables depends on more than just the technology. "The things that you wear say something about you," says Brown, highlighting the cultural meanings of spectacles or watches. "There are some things that wearables signify that are unintentional... What do you think when you see someone wearing a Bluetooth headset?" Brown's advice to those developing wearable kit is to always think about the person doing the wearing. "Be bold," he advises. "Don't let engineers lead you. A device has to fit in with what is important to people... how do people use it? How does it help people be their best selves? They must help people be the best parent they can be, the best employee they can be, the best friend they can be. "Technology is just technology: what matters is what you can do with it." Related Links:The two things that need to happen before wearable tech goes mainstream: Google and AppleWearable tech multiplies and goes mainstream at MWC 2014How Moov plans to deliver nearly $1M worth of wearables by JulyWhat the tech business hasn't yet grasped about human natureMoov fitness tracker actually tells us how to fix ourselves

OK, Glass, have an NBA player dunk in my face[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 11:00:00 GMT ] Sacramento Kings guard Ray McCollum slams home a dunk during a scrimmage while wearing Google Glass. (Credit: James Martin/CNET) SACRAMENTO, Calif.--"This is the real Google," taunted Sacramento Kings guard Orlando Johnson. Johnson leaned in, dribbling a basketball, ready to explode to the hoop. Only teammates Ray McCallum and Jason Thompson stood in the way. Through the Google Glass I was wearing, I watched Thompson prepare to stop Johnson. From Thompson's exact point of view. Moments earlier, I'd watched as McCallum had dribbled in, jumped high in the air, and dunked the ball hard. My view? A look at the rim from a couple of feet away, close enough to see the stitches on the net, again from Thompson's vantage point, NBA pros wear Google Glass to give fans a new point of view Each of the three Kings was wearing Glass, and each was recording as they worked their way through an informal shootaround hours before the night's game against the New Orleans Pelicans. As they played, they taunted and bragged, well aware of the technology they were wearing. "Google, record that," one shouted as he made a sweet shot. "Google, stop Ray," Johnson commanded. Johnson, McCallum, and Thompson were wearing Google Glass as part of a new program the Kings have started that is designed to let fans see things like shootarounds, pre-game workouts, and even in-game huddles from the players' perspective. Using technology developed by San Francisco's CrowdOptic, the Kings plan on making feeds from Glass being worn by players, announcers, the team's mascot, and even its cheerleaders, available during games to anyone running its app on their own Glass, on TV, and on the arena's JumboTron. Unfortunately, players will not wear Glass during actual game action. A Sacramento Kings cheerleader dances while wearing Google Glass. Her view was broadcast to the team's JumboTron during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. (Credit: James Martin/CNET) The Kings' experiment is an interesting one that promises to offer fans a unique new look at game day action. Along with other experiments, like accepting Bitcoin, using drones to shoot video inside the team's Sleep Train Arena, and even incorporating Oculus Rift, the Kings are trying to take the lead among NBA teams when it comes to using technology to enhance fans' experiences. And no wonder, given that the team's ownership group is packed full of tech heavyweights like Tibco Software founder Vivek Ranadive; Paul, Hal, and Jeff Jacobs (whose father founded Qualcomm); Leap Motion President (and former Apple vice president) Andy Miller; and former Facebook chief privacy officer Chris Kelly. Thanks to those connections, the team, in its search for new tech to try out, is "literally one phone call away from every tech CEO in the world," said Kings senior vice president for marketing and strategy Ben Gumpert. But back to Glass. Here's how it works. When Glass records video, it can broadcast that feed, and CrowdOptic's software can capture it, send it back out, allowing anyone running its app to "inherit" the feed. Although there's a short delay, it means that an average Glass wearer -- or later, someone running the CrowdOptic app on a smart phone -- will be able to see just what I saw when I watched Thompson, Johnson, and McCallum play 1-on-2: an up close and very personal view of getting dunked on. The NBA puts you in the game with wearable tech (pictures) 1-2 of 11 Scroll Left Scroll Right To start with, the Kings bought 10 pairs of Glass, meaning that at any one time, there are few possible feeds that fans could inherit. But over time, as the team buys more, or fans' own Glass or smartphone feeds are incorporated into the mix, CrowdOptic's algorithms will be brought to bear to help find the most compelling views for fans. As Jon Fisher, the company's CEO explained, its technology is able to analyze multiple feeds coming from a similar location and choose the best one to share. Ultimately, when there's hundreds, or even thousands, of feeds choose from, "the fans will be in charge," said vice president of business development (and former NFL linebacker) Jim Kovach. "They're going to see what they want to see." As far as the players are concerned, wearing Glass and using the hot wearable technology to give fans a little more access is a no-brainer. According to Thompson, the best way to use it is when doing "tricks and dunks, and flashy things....[You can] see different things, like the way people talk." That's exactly what CrowdOptic is hoping pro sports teams will realize. In addition to the Kings, the company is working with a half-dozen other (as yet unnamed) NBA franchises, as well as some college teams. The technology, said Kovach, lets fans have a much closer look at players' personalities. "They have their quirks, and you can't pick that up from the stands," Kovach said, referring to things like players messing around during workouts, or on the sidelines. "It's just interesting to see." Sacramento Kings players Orlando Johnson, Ray McCallum, and Jason Thompson (left to right) scrimmage while wearing Google Glass. (Credit: James Martin/CNET) To be sure, this technology isn't ready for widespread deployment. Though the Kings have tested it out during two recent games, the team has so far only pushed the feeds to the arena's JumboTron screen. For now, network support is the limiting factor. But soon, Glass wearers will be able to see what it's liked to get dunked on by an NBA player. "This is a new century," Thompson said. "It's 2014, and this is definitely the future, not just of basketball, but of the world." Then again, maybe McCallum put it better as he scrimmaged against Johnson and Thompson. "Oooooooh, Google," the 22-year-old guard said as he drained a pretty bucket over his teammates. Related Links:Doctors testing Google Glass to get real-time patient dataGlassholes: At least you know who they areGoogle fighting to stop anti-Glass driving laws, says reportIcis: It's like Google Glass, but classyGoogle Glass blamed for melee in SF bar

New Bitcoin glitch: Blockchain suffers hours-long outage[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 11:11:02 GMT ] A database problem has knocked Blockchain's Bitcoin wallet servies offline for hours. With the high-profile collapse of Bitcoin exchange site Mt. Gox in February and then Flexcoin's failure in March, Bitcoin backers could be forgiven for fretting about the fate of their virtual currency. Blockchain servers house nearly 1.4 million bitcoin wallets, but the company says the access problem is only a temporary glitch -- albeit one that's lasted more than 16 hours so far. Blockchain Limited Chief Security Officer Andreas M. Antonopoulos said in a blog post Monday: Blockchain is experiencing a technical issue that has forced us to temporarily interrupt services. The outage was caused by a bug in some database handling code. We are working hard to fix the issue and restore service as soon as possible, but anticipate the outage may last more than an hour, as it requires restarting database servers with very largedata sets. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this recent outage has caused you. Please rest assured that your wallets are safe and this outage does not affect the security of funds or the completion of executed transactions... Related stories Dorian Nakamoto: Bitcoin was not my baby, period Mt. Gox files for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in US Mt. Gox CEO's blog hacked; alleged Bitcoin balances posted Later, the company added another blog post on how to import wallet data into a local wallet app. The company recommends using the Multibit wallet software and gives instructions on how to do so for those who have their wallet information. For those who don't, Blockchain said people can file a request from Blockchain to get it. Blockchain doesn't take control of users' bitcoins, the company said: Unlike other services that have ownership over private keys [data used to sign bitcoin transactions], Blockchain is superior because it allows users to access their private keys, thus enabling them to have access to their funds under circumstances such as this. It is very important for us to emphasize how crucial it is that users make regular backups of their wallets. Doing so will allow users to import their funds into a wallet client such as MultiBit and therefore avoid the headache and stress of being unable to access their funds, for whatever reason. Blockchain said that as of January, it had 1.1 million registered users and 200 million page views per month. The site is popular among those monitoring Bitcoin statistics such as new coins that have been mined through the public ledger confirmation process. Related Links:Bitcoin exchange Mt. Gox offline amid 'insolvency' chargesI bought $20 worth of bitcoin at an ATM in AlbuquerqueBitcoin exchange Mt. Gox plans to resume withdrawals soonHey, Mt. Gox: I want my two dollars! (or my .02 bitcoin)Japan: 'Bitcoin isn't a currency'

Apple iPhone 6 will reportedly start production in Q2[ Tue, 18 Mar 2014 11:42:15 GMT ] Foxconn employees working on Apple products (Credit: Apple) Apple could be weeks away from starting production on the iPhone 6. That's according to the Commercial Times (Chinese language), which Reuters translated and reported. Related stories iPad with Retina Display makes $399 comeback, knocks out iPad 2 Cheaper new 8GB iPhone 5C goes on sale Discontinued iPad 4 may see return with 8GB iPhone 5C Following Google and Roku, Amazon plans a TV dongle? Apple's Healthbook app would play virtual doctor -- report Apple's manufacturing partner Pegatron is opening up new factory space and recruiting workers to build the iPhone 6, according to the report. The production would begin in the second quarter, the newspaper said, citing unnamed sources. CNET contacted Apple for comment, and we'll update the story when the company responds. Pegatron won't be the only manufacturer of Apple's flagship phone. The Commercial Times said Hon Hai Precision Industry, also known as Foxconn, would be the primary manufacturer of the phone. Not much is known about the iPhone 6, although it is widely believed to have a larger display. Related Links:Apple supplier Foxconn to hire 15,000 more workersMore signs that Apple A8 chip production is approachingBlackBerry chief gives turnaround 50-50 chanceApple's hiring binge could point to more iPhone developmentApple-Samsung silicon union still strong, chip expert says

Things we learned at SXSWi[ Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:03:55 EDT ]Even when pared down to just its Interactive portion, South by Southwest can feel like a huge and amorphous thing -- sort of like, as director Hugh Forrest says, the Internet itself.

Robot band plays 'heavy metal'[ Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:31:10 EDT ]What has 78 fingers, 22 arms, and no brain? Answer: The coolest robot band you've ever seen.

Forget texts ... send smells[ Mon, 17 Mar 2014 15:04:13 EDT ]If the digital age has increased the volume of communication, it may not have improved the quality. That is the goal of a new generation of sensory engineers who are going beyond sight and sound to produce devices that use our untapped faculties, with the most exciting breakthroughs in olfaction.

Lego robot breaks Rubik's Cube record[ Mon, 17 Mar 2014 14:31:31 EDT ]If you were never able to solve a Rubik's Cube without peeling off the stickers or prying it apart with a butter knife, you're really going to hate this robot.

Lego robot shatters Rubik's Cube record[ Mon, 17 Mar 2014 11:10:05 EDT ]If you were never able to solve a Rubik's Cube without peeling off the stickers or prying it apart with a butter knife, you're really going to hate this robot.

Samsung Debuts Cellphone Accessories to Help Out Visually Impaired[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 20:11:21 GMT ]Samsung announced a set of cellphone accessories on Friday that may be helpful to the visually impaired. The add-ons, for the company's midrange Galaxy Core Advance phone, could aid in navigation, reading and note-taking.

Target Warns Data Breach Could Be Worse Than Reported So Far[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 20:42:22 GMT ]Target Corp. warned that last year's massive security breach could have been more extensive than reported so far.

Why .Berlin and .NYC? For Cities, It's Business[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 21:13:27 GMT ]Next week, Berlin will become the first major international city with its own top-level domain name, meaning people will be able to register websites that end in “.berlin.”It isn’t the only city that wants to get in on the action. London, Paris and Tokyo are all scheduled to do the same this year.

Uber Expands Insurance Coverage for Ridesharing Drivers[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 21:59:43 GMT ]SAN FRANCISCO — UberX on Friday expanded the insurance coverage it offers to ridesharing drivers, a step toward easing regulators' and lawmakers' concerns and creating broader acceptance of the services.

U.S. to Cede Control of Internet Regulating Organization[ Sat, 15 Mar 2014 02:53:38 GMT ]The U.S. government is finally relinquishing its hold on ICANN, an organization that controls or influences many key pieces of Internet infrastructure. ICANN will soon operate independently, though it will continue to work closely with Washington and other governments.

Microsoft takes on the 'free' OS[ Sat, 15 Mar 2014 21:24:02 GMT ] HTC 8XT Windows Phone. (Credit: Microsoft) Microsoft is taking baby steps toward offering its operating system for free or on the cheap -- a necessary tactic in a world dominated by Google's Android and other up-and-coming free operating systems, an analyst tells CNET. As reported by the Times of India this week, Microsoft had been in negotiations with Indian phone companies to "produce affordable Windows Phone devices" since last year. The agreement was "clinched" when Microsoft agreed to offer the Windows Phone OS sans the usual licensing fee, according to the Times. Microsoft said to CNET in a statement that it "cannot discuss confidential licensing terms." "It's a calculated risk to see how it works," said Bob O'Donnell, principal analyst at Technalysis Research. The Windows Phone OS has less than a 10 percent share of India's smartphone market, which is dominated by Android, according to IDC. Related stories Google cited as bothered by Android-Windows hybrid Microsoft leaks Windows 8.1 update early Microsoft fell behind Android and Apple when it missed the move to mobile, not offering the Windows Phone OS until 2010, long after Google and Apple jumped in the market. Former CEO Steve Ballmer said as much earlier this month. "We would have a stronger position in the phone market today if I could redo the last 10 years," he said, speaking in the UK. The company has reason to be somewhat optimistic, however. IDC forecasts that its share of the smartphone market will only increase in the coming years. To make this happen, emerging markets present a special challenge, where operating systems like Firefox and even Linux's Ubuntu -- both free -- could gain traction. "There's a lot of potential in these markets for alternatives," O'Donnell said. So, how will Microsoft compensate down the road if it relies less on Windows licensing revenues for consumer products, which still account for a large chunk of sales. "Increasingly we're going to see business models change anyway, with revenue generated by services added on top of the OS. So, this is a chance to get their foot in the door." O'Donnell gave examples such as Office 365, Skydrive, Skype, and music services. "If it does work well, I wouldn't be surprised to see them do it in other large markets," he added. And Microsoft is rethinking licensing fees with larger devices too, like tablets. It has already lowered licensing fees for sub-$250 PCs, O'Donnell said. That helps tablet makers like Dell sell its 32GB Venue 8 tablet for $229 or Lenovo offer its Miix 2 8-inch tablet for $249. But baby steps is the operative phrase for Microsoft's rethink. "It's not going to happen overnight," O'Donnell said. Firefox is an option for phones in emerging markets. (Credit: Mozilla) Related Links:With Firefox OS, Mozilla begins the $25 smartphone pushUbuntu Touch gets grip on its first phone makersFirst Ubuntu phones go on sale in fall, Mark Shuttleworth revealsFirefox OS sinks its teeth into low-end smartphonesWhy the Android-powered Nokia X is great for Microsoft

Can an audiophile find joy in an under $100 amplifier?[ Sat, 15 Mar 2014 21:39:07 GMT ] The Dayton Audio DTA-120 (Credit: Parts Express) The Dayton Audio DTA-120 stereo integrated amp isn't very big, but for anyone searching for a decent amp that won't break the bank it's a real contender. First, let's look at the numbers: It's rated at 50 watts per channel for 8 ohm speakers; 60 watts per channel for 4 ohm speakers; the rear panel has stereo RCA inputs and speaker cable binding posts. The front panel has a 3.5 mm stereo minijack input, a 6.3 mm headphone jack, and a volume control. The DTA-120's extruded metal chassis feels solid, it's tiny, just 2.2 x 3.4 x 5.5 inches, including feet, faceplate, and volume knob. The separate power supply box is about the same size as the amp, so it's a good deal larger than your typical wall wart. I used my old PSB Alpha B speakers and Oppo BDP 105 Blu-ray player for most of my listening tests. Nothing about the DTA-120's sound made me feel like I was listening to an entry-level amp. It was reasonably powerful, imaging was spacious, the sound was neither bright nor dull. I played a bunch of tunes and was perfectly happy with the sound. I also watched a few movies, and even without the aid of a subwoofer the little Alpha Bs provided satisfying, though not room-shaking, bass. I plugged in my Audio Technica ATH M50 headphones and liked what I heard. The DTA-120 summoned up a lot of detail from the M50s and bass definition was well ahead of what I get from these 'phones plugged into my iPod Classic or Mac Mini computer. The DTA-120's rear panel (Credit: Parts Express) I compared the DTA-120 with the $25 Lepai LP2020A+ amp, and they sounded very different. The LP202A+ is mellower and more laid back; the DTA-120 is clearer, more open sounding. The LP2020+ is rated at just 20 watts per channel, so the DTA-120's dynamic oomph was well ahead of the LP2020A+'s, and treble "air" and detail were lacking compared with the DTA-120. Still, for the money the LP2020A+ is pretty spectacular, especially if you don't play tunes all that loud. The LP202A+ sounds sweet and rich at moderate volume levels. The DTA-120 would also be a fine match with a set of desktop speakers, ones that don't have built-in power amps, like the Audioengine P4. Parts Express sells the DTS-120 for just a hair under $100. Related Links:Getting better all the time: M-Audio BX5 Carbon speakersMicrosoft leaks Windows 8.1 update earlyAn awesome small room/high-end stereo systemMaking headphones monoAT&T's Digital Life finds its way into four new markets

Hey, boss, 12 percent will watch March Madness in meetings[ Sat, 15 Mar 2014 21:53:36 GMT ] All-important. (Credit: CNN/YouTube screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET) We have come to that time of year when a group of possibly inebriated, supposed experts decides which colleges will send their teams to the NCAA Basketball Tournament. This cultural beauty pageant is branded on American hearts like few other events. You may not know where Butler University actually is, but you wrap your arms around it, as if your own child was on the team. This causes problems for industrial productivity and personal gadgetry. Sports have always been more important than work. Therefore, workers are more likely to watch sporting events that happen to occur during working hours. Indeed, a survey that has exclusively landed on my screen tells me that 66 percent of respondents admitted they'd be watching March Madness courtesy of very fine mobile apps. The survey was sponsored by SOASTA -- sounds like "toaster," not "Zoroaster" (sadly). By remarkable coincidence, this is a company that exists to ensure mobile apps don't crash as free throws are being taken with two seconds left. Anyone who has been in a work environment during these two weeks of insanity knows that conversation revolves around little else. But it's instructive to learn what rites of decorum people will ignore in order to follow the games. Of these 2,040 adult respondents, 74 percent freely confessed they'd be glued to their smartphones or tablets during breaks; 61 percent said that they would chew on their chicken salad while watching flying collegians. Oddly, a mere 14 percent declared that, yes, of course they'll be watching the games during conference calls. I am sure that the other 86 percent have never even raised a middle finger toward the speaker during a conference call. More Technically Incorrect How a selfie with a rapper can improve your Facebook status Man Googles himself, discovers he's on the 'Most Wanted' list Jimmy Kimmel shows SXSW attendees will say anything to sound cool William Shatner: Of course there's alien life Woz: Snowden is a hero and Apple is the purest of all It was the 12 percent who were most honest, I believe. These people barefacedly admitted that they'll be glued to their mobile devices watching Tar Heels, Blue Devils, and green rookies during meetings. You could be discussing mobile strategy for a new blind-date app for dogs. Or you could be using your favorite mobile sports app to bathe in something important. It's not a difficult choice, is it? Bosses should also be aware of hard-core cases, for whom nothing will get in the way of their hoops. Four percent of these sensitive respondents said that not even being given a performance review would stop them from staring at their gadgets. Three percent insisted they'd even ignore their boss if he or she was talking. Let's admit it, though. Not even bosses are immune from March's Ides of Insanity. Two percent of those surveyed admitted they'd follow a game on their mobile device when giving a performance review. This may sound deeply rude. However, this is the time of year when your bracket is more important than your wage packet. After all, Warren Buffet is offering $1 billion to anyone who fills out the perfect March Madness bracket. Please try asking for $1 billion in your next performance review and let me know how it goes. Related Links:10 must-see videos of the weekGoogle's Tim Bray steps down in the name of working remotelyRoku Streaming Stick vs. Google Chromecast: How do they stack up?Be one with Flappy Bird: The science of 'flow' in game designDespite complaints, most Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers plan to renew

How a selfie with a rapper can improve your Facebook status[ Sat, 15 Mar 2014 23:27:00 GMT ] The man who helps you get women. (Credit: DJVlad/YouTube; screenshot by Chris Matyszczyk/CNET) On occasion, I'm forced to disappear to the Wine Country in order to commune with nature. If I feel that the last vestige of niceness is disappearing from me, a few hours spent in the company of the people of Napa and their grape products creates a reawakening, as well as a need for a hotel. Late on Friday afternoon, I was sipping some very fine Honig cabernet when a young man engaged me in conversation. He was 24 years old, he had a flip phone, and he was in crisis. "I've got to leave in a minute to go to a liquor store in Fairfield," he said. This is not the sort of sentence you always hear in Napa. But this man seemed excited. Or was it perturbed? Fairfield, should you not know it, is a city that is home to the Jelly Belly and the Travis Air Force base. Yes, it's a place where you can get your candy and have your ear drums crushed by a transport plane, all on the same day. Why did Archie (let's call him) need to go to Dave's Liquor in Fairfield? He needed to meet E-40. Wait, you don't know E-40? He's a very important rapper and entrepreneur, who happens to have his own wine label (Earl Stevens Selections is the brand). Some of E-40's greatest hits include "Tell Me When To Go" and "My S*** Bang." He was going to be at Dave's Liquor in order to present his wine. Wine tends to induce naivete in me, so I assumed that Archie, a wine aficionado, needed to meet E-40 because he loved his wine. All the same, I asked him, just in case I'd missed a nuance: "Why do you need to meet E-40 so badly, Archie?" "Facebook," he replied. "Facebook?" "Yes. I need a new profile picture." So you're not interested in the wine? Instead, the idea is to take a picture with E-40 and make it your profile picture? Why do you need to do that?" He looked at me as if I'd just stepped off a large circular transport plane and had candy-colored antennae poking through my remaining three hairs. "Girls," he explained irritatedly. "Girls?" "Look, when girls look at my profile picture, they'll think I'm a lot cooler because I hang out with rappers." "But you don't hang out with rappers, Archie. You ambush them in liquor stores, demand a picture, and don't even tell them that you're using them to pick up girls. That's not hanging out with them. That's faking it." "As if the whole world isn't about faking it," he mused with slightly sad eyes. "You don't understand how important this is. You're either somebody or you're nobody. Especially on Facebook. If girls see that you're just another guy, they breeze on by. But if they see you've done something cool with someone cool, they'll message you. I have to have girls. Girls have to want to have me." "Wait, but Facebook is the place to get girls? I thought it was the place to tell your granny you've got a girl." "It is, partly. But I haven't got a girl, so I have nothing to tell my granny. And you can still meet girls on Facebook. You just have to look cool." More Technically Incorrect Hey, boss, 12 percent will watch March Madness in meetings Man Googles himself, discovers he's on the 'Most Wanted' list Jimmy Kimmel shows SXSW attendees will say anything to sound cool William Shatner: Of course there's alien life Woz: Snowden is a hero and Apple is the purest of all At this, Archie began to get up, seeming stressed that he had to go through this procedure to proceed with his love life. His cheeks had reddened and he'd not been drinking. "Wait," I said. "But you've only got a flip phone. How are you going to get a selfie with E-40?" "I'm meeting my friend over at the liquor store. He's got an iPhone," Archie replied. Archie rushed away, to do what needed to be done. He needed to get his free celebrity endorsement. Perhaps it's no surprise that he felt the need to advertise himself this way. People laugh about Facebook adorning its pages with advertising, when everyone uses their own Facebook pages to advertise how interesting their lives are. This is me. I am exciting. Love me. Want me. Be fascinated by me. Be jealous of me. But, most of all, love me. Somehow, though, it was sad that Archie had to drive 40 minutes in order to get the job done. Because a job is what it clearly appeared to be. This morning, I drifted to E-40's Facebook page to see if he had really been at Dave's Liquor. It was true. There, for all to see, was a picture of hordes waiting to taste the great man's wine. I couldn't see Archie in the picture, which doesn't mean he didn't get his man, in order to get his woman. I wonder, though, how many people were really there just to enhance their Facebook status. Related Links:Colin Powell, pioneer of the selfie?Finally, an actual use for a selfieAre selfies causing the spread of head lice?Step aside, selfies, Sweden's snapping 'wefies'Apple adds selfie section to iTunes App Store

Glassholes: at least you know who they are[ Sun, 16 Mar 2014 11:00:00 GMT ] Google Glass Explorer Edition (Credit: Jason Cipriani/CNET) Google Glass has provoked a lot of angst among those worried about the electronic eyewear is rude, weird, or creepy -- and for good reason. Among the concerns Glass raises are that the wearer could be recording video, audio, or photos of other people or that the wearer could be looking up online information about those people. For a good illustration of the social difficulties of Google Glass, check Becky Worley's report from SXSW on Google Glass at Yahoo Tech, in which wearers report problems at a supermarket, customs, a business meeting, and a trip to the bathroom at a zoo. The headline of the piece: "Google Glass Will Never Be Okay." Plenty of others have similar sentiments. Gartner's Ian Glazer is worried that Google Glass makes relationships uncomfortaly asymmetric, with a power imbalance between those who are and are not wearing Google Glass. The Google Glass creepy factor is embodied in Neal Stephenson's sci-fi book "Snow Crash" in the character of Lagos, a "gargoyle" who's encrusted with electronic sensory equipment and a live link to the databases of the world: Gargoyles...are adrift in a laser-drawn world, scanning retinas in all directions, doing background checks on everyone within a thousand yards, seeing everything in visual light, infrared, millimeter-wave radar, and ultrasound all at once. You think they're talking to you, but they're actually poring over the credit record of some stranger on the other side of the room, or identifying the make and model of airplanes flying overhead. Google Glass will rightly raise lots of hackles when used in public, and I think that's appropriate. Although Google Glass devices are perched just over the line of sight, Glass still comes between two people having a conversation. And because one of the major points of Glass is to be able to record an intimately first-person view of the world, Glass can be intrusive: people often behave differently on a stage or on camera. Thus, I'm not suggesting we brush off concerns about Glass as just baseless techno-fretting. It's worth discussing society-altering inventions like power looms, birth control pills, automobiles, and televisions. But often, the discussions about Google Glass are too narrow in scope. Before declaring Google Glass doomed to failure, we need to look at what has come before them and at what's going to come after. Paving the way to Google Glass The most obvious precursor to Google Glass is the smartphone. It's a general-purpose electronic companion that can be carried with you at all time, augmenting what you happen to remember with a live connection to vast amounts of personal and public information. It pages us with important messages and lets us record the moment with photos and videos. To many of us, smartphones are useful and ordinary. But social norms are still catching up to technology. It's just fine to take a mobile phon call when you're driving with your spouse to do weekend shopping errands. It's rude to do so when you're on a first date. But in many circumstances, it's a gray area, and what's considered OK is changing. Taking a call from your child's school in the middle of a business meeting is probably OK, because it might be an emergency. But taking a call from your friend in the middle of a business meeting might be a bad idea. On some trains, there are cars where it's OK to talk on mobile phones and some where it's barred. We're also adapting to mobile phone photos and video. Is it OK to record a rock concert? Maybe, but some musicians politely ask you not to. At my son's piano recital last month, a succession of parents moved to the front of the central aisle to record their children's' performances and blocking the view for a lot of the rest of the audience. Nobody objected, but such behavior would be unthinkable if the performer had been a world-class violin virtuoso rather than a bunch of primary-school kids. The Lost Lake Cafe and Diner in Seattle bans people from wearing Google Glass. (Credit: Lost Lake Cafe/ Facebook) The more we use mobile phones, and the more they can do, the more we as a society will evolve these social protocols, either through convention, posted rules, or legislation. Google Glass looks shocking today, but don't discount out the possibility that we'll work out rules for when they're OK to wear and when they're not, gestures that warn people we're using them or reassure them that we're not, or conventions for asking politely if it's OK to record a particular moment. We're already working some of the protocols out with mobile phones and other devices. I went skiing a couple weeks ago, and lots of teenagers and some adults had GoPro helmets stuck to their helmets, making parts of their lives mini-performances and making all the rest of us part of the supporting cast whether we wanted to be or not. All these rules are evolving, but here's the underlying point: We've already accepted technology into our lives that comes with much of the rudeness and creepiness of Google Glass. Google's devices push the issue farther, but we're already dealing with the rudeness of attention divided between our company and our device, with the constant interruptions from the cloud, with joggers tuned out to music only they can hear, with people recording images of everything around them then posting it publicly on the Net. Glass in our future That's the context that Glass is fitting into today. I also think it's important to consider the context Glass will fit into tomorrow. Glass today is bulky and awkward compared to ordinary glasses, but it's sleek compared to anything that could have been built a decade earlier. Extrapolate today's trends in miniaturization of processors, networking electronics, cameras, and it's not hard to imagine that many more devices could come with the capabilities that Glass has today. I'm not saying such a future is inevitable, but it's quite possible that ordinary looking glasses, or perhaps jewelry or clothing or Bluetooth earpieces, could have such technology built into it. Russian dashcams could spread to many more cars and to our homes and offices. Maybe it'll even be in contact lenses or, if Ray Kurzweil is right, nanobots in our brains and bloodstream will intercept our own sensory data, process and store it, then communicate directly with our own neurons. That latter idea is pretty far out, but given how much technology has changed in the last few decades, I'd hesitate to rule it out completely. The more we rely on devices to keep track of what's going on around us, the more the assumption of asymmetry common in today's Glass criticisms isn't actually the case. It's natural to think about the asymmetry today because almost nobody has Google Glass. But if Glass or something like them spread, the discussion will have to include situations of symmetry, too, like when two people having lunch each have smartphones instead of just one of them. We could record a lot more with our mobile phones. Perhaps we'll find it useful to record conversations by default to improve our imperfect memories -- the phones themselves or some cloud service they connect to could keep track of whom we met at social occasions and business meetings. Technology could scan our conversations and prompt us later that we'd promised to go to that birthday party or bring snacks for the office, or warn that us a weekend outing won't be possible because a spouse had mentioned earlier that he or she would be out of town on travel. In other words, maybe other devices will offer much of the creepiness of Glass without the actual Glass itself. And here's where I think there's a perversely good thing about Google Glass's intrusiveness. They're so overt that they don't leave as much room for ambiguity about what's going on. They broadcast to everybody what's possible. In other words, wearing Google Glass might make you a jerk -- but at least you're an honest jerk. Related Links:

Oculus Rift demo wows SXSW[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:28:43 EDT ]Night gathers, and now your watch begins.

Flashbacks from Web's 25 years[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 08:30:23 EDT ]From Napster to balloon-powered Internet, here is a look back at the history of the World Wide Web

LeBron's Samsung tweet gaffe[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 16:52:19 EDT ]In the tech world, paying a celebrity to love your product can sometimes backfire.

5 things we learned at SXSW Interactive[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 14:43:21 EDT ]Even when pared down to just its Interactive portion, South by Southwest can feel like a huge and amorphous thing -- sort of like, as director Hugh Forrest says, the Internet itself.

Robot band gives new meaning to heavy metal[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 07:38:59 EDT ]What has 78 fingers, 22 arms, and no brain? Answer: The coolest robot band you've ever seen.

Samsung Debuts Cellphone Accessories to Help Out Visually Impaired[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 20:11:21 GMT ]Samsung announced a set of cellphone accessories on Friday that may be helpful to the visually impaired. The add-ons, for the company's midrange Galaxy Core Advance phone, could aid in navigation, reading and note-taking.

Target Warns Data Breach Could Be Worse Than Reported So Far[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 20:42:22 GMT ]Target Corp. warned that last year's massive security breach could have been more extensive than reported so far.

Why .Berlin and .NYC? For Cities, It's Business[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 21:13:27 GMT ]Next week, Berlin will become the first major international city with its own top-level domain name, meaning people will be able to register websites that end in “.berlin.”It isn’t the only city that wants to get in on the action. London, Paris and Tokyo are all scheduled to do the same this year.

Uber Expands Insurance Coverage for Ridesharing Drivers[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 21:59:43 GMT ]SAN FRANCISCO — UberX on Friday expanded the insurance coverage it offers to ridesharing drivers, a step toward easing regulators' and lawmakers' concerns and creating broader acceptance of the services.

U.S. to Cede Control of Internet Regulating Organization[ Sat, 15 Mar 2014 02:53:38 GMT ]The U.S. government is finally relinquishing its hold on ICANN, an organization that controls or influences many key pieces of Internet infrastructure. ICANN will soon operate independently, though it will continue to work closely with Washington and other governments.

Smells like terrier spirit: 'First Sniff' spoofs 'First Kiss' video[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 23:19:04 GMT ] (Credit: Video screenshot by Leslie Katz/CNET) First there were strangers kissing each other on video, then were there strangers of the canine variety sniffing each other. And while the former, "First Kiss," quickly went viral before viewers enchanted with its supposed raw emotion discovered it was an ad promoting a new fashion line, the parody "First Sniff" may actually give us all a moment to paws and appreciate something truly charming -- pups that just want to say hello. Related stories Kissing YouTube video goes viral (oh, no, it's an ad) Dogs may pick up on emotions like you do, science says Whistle, the Fitbit for dogs, makes push into mainstream In "First Sniff," created by ad agency Mother London, the highly attractive models, musicians, and actors from filmmaker Tatiana Pilieva's arty "First Kiss" video are replaced with adorable dogs wagging their tails and greeting each other in the traditional way. "We tried to get some dogs to kiss for the first time..." Mother London says in its video. And canines of all kinds obliged with delightful reactions that it almost puts the human video to shame. There's even a sleek and slender dog wearing his cone of shame who still manages to captivate a petite pooch and give a sniff. Greyhounds, cocker spaniels, terriers, and mutts of many breeds sit, lick faces, sniff furry butts, and give more longing looks than a Jane Austen film. Of course, "First Sniff" is only one of the parodies that sprung up after the Internet got infatuated with the kiss video and then found out it might not have been as innocent of a human experiment as it first seemed. One spoof features interactions between cats, and another between frisky humans. Still another shows Brits "who definitely aren't super confident, hot American models," kissing for the first time. But we can't help but adore the puppy-love one most. Love at first sight isn't so far-fetched after all. Related Links:Kissing YouTube video goes viral (oh, no, it's an ad)Van Damme epic splits in space should be the final wordTim Berners-Lee: 25 years on, the Web still needs work (Q&A)'Talking Angela' programmer talks hoaxes, AI mastery (Q&A)Artist reimagines Spock, Sherlock, Time Lords, and Avengers as cats

Crave Ep. 151: Neil Young's Pono dreams soon to come true[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 23:30:00 GMT ] Neil Young's Pono dreams soon to come true, Ep. 151 Subscribe to Crave:iTunes (HD) | iTunes (SD) | iTunes (HQ) RSS (HD) | RSS (SD) | RSS (HQ) Neil Young's PonoMusic service blew past its Kickstarter fundraising goal in one day. Are FLAC files the next wave in music? We also hear some jams from a cyborg drummer on Earth, and wake up to the sweet smells and sounds of the Bacon Alarm. Crave stories: - Robotic arm gives amputee drummer better beats - Bacon alarm clock wafts meat odors from your iPhone - Forget planking, #whaling is the hot new Vine trend - Neil Young's PonoMusic hits Kickstarter - Watch robotic pole dancers shake their actuators - Crave giveaway: $500 shopping spree from Rakuten.com Shopping Social networking:- Stephen on Twitter - Stephen on Google+Related Links:Neil Young's PonoMusic hits KickstarterNeil Young's PonoMusic hits $2M on Kickstarter in one dayThe 404 1,443: Where we're taking the couch by storm (podcast)Neil Young's Pono dreams soon to come true, Ep. 151The 404 1,445: Where we beat up on Bluetooth (podcast)

Large iPad ditched? Not dead yet, says analyst[ Sat, 15 Mar 2014 00:03:56 GMT ] iPad Air. A larger iPad or hybrid is still possible this year, an analyst tells CNET. (Credit: Apple) A large Apple tablet isn't out of the question this year, an analyst told CNET, in the wake of a report today saying the device is "shelved." "The problem so far is that the use-case hasn't been made for a large tablet yet," said Rhoda Alexander, director of tablet and monitor research at IHS Technology. That sentiment was echoed in a CNET review of the large Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2, which said interface and performance issues hold it back from being a laptop replacement. A report today from Digitimes claimed that shipments of Samsung's 12.2-inch tablet will be relatively small this year for similar reasons. The report also claimed that Apple has "shelved" its large tablet. Not so fast, said Alexander. "It could happen if a [device maker] comes along and makes the use-case along with the size. So, for instance, if you have a company that offers touch-enabled Microsoft Office, where it's useful to have more screen area to see what you're doing," she said. Related stories Samsung Galaxy TabPro 12.2 ships March 9 for $650 CES 2014: Microsoft and the PC have seen better days She continued. "It would be interesting to see if Apple goes down the road of maybe a blend of their [MacBook] Air product and their traditional iPad product." And what about the chances of this happening in 2014? "We haven't built it into our forecasts yet because we want to see something more concrete. But think about what [Apple] did with the new iPad. It was three or four months before they released the product. So, if it's, let's say an October release -- and this is all just speculation -- it's possible they wouldn't ramp up production on the component level until summertime." Alexander added that the iPad Air has changed the tablet game for Apple. Before, the iPad Mini seemed like the wave of the future but the "iPad Air is significant in that they managed to shift the tablet purchase balance back up to the [bigger] 9.7-inch." Related Links:'iPad Pro' iffy, Microsoft Office on iPad 'alive' in 2014: ReportsAT&T expands international LTE roaming to 13 more countriesGalaxy S5: How Samsung built its Galactic Empire (video)Samsung Galaxy S5 images leak ahead of Monday eventSamsung Galaxy S5: Most likely features and specs

Facebook makes wrong call on anti-Semitic page[ Sat, 15 Mar 2014 11:00:00 GMT ] Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg (Credit: James Martin/CNET) For the past several years, Facebook and several other prominent social-media companies have been wrestling with how to respond when their popular platforms are being abused by bigots to spread racist speech and hateful propaganda, including Holocaust denial and anti-Semitism. Much of the debate has centered on a discussion over the difficult concept of what exactly constitutes hate speech. As defined by Facebook's own community standards, people have a right to post "ignorant and untrue material about people and events" on their personal pages. But any content that directly attacks people based on their race, ethnicity, national origin, religion or a host of other immutable characteristics constitutes a violation of those standards and is impermissible on the Facebook platform. In applying these standards, Facebook has chosen not to remove Holocaust denial pages that do not also contain direct attacks. We have responded by telling them that as a virulent form of anti-Semitism and an indirect attack on Jews, Holocaust denial pages are unacceptable. We feel the same way about a page on Facebook called "Jewish Ritual Murder." The page features articles and other material reviving the old libelous charge against Jews that they murder Christian children to use their blood for ritual purposes. To us, the individual who created the "Jewish Ritual Murder" is promoting anti-Semitism. But Facebook has indicated that this page, too, does not violate its community standards. Related stories Facebook ordered to take down anti-Semitic page Twitter must reveal names behind anti-Semitic tweets, rules French court Twitter hit with $50M suit over anti-Semitic tweeter data We recognize that the Internet and social media are so successful because they provide the ultimate platforms for the global exchange of ideas. At the same time, they should not be platforms for hate. This is particularly the case when corporations like Facebook, as moderators of virtual communities where young people frequently "congregate," already have rules in place to guard against bias-motivated attacks and cyberbullying. Regardless of how narrowly they are going to define hate speech, they need to have policies that allow them to exercise discretion in egregious cases such as this. The "blood libel" refers to a centuries-old false allegation that Jews murder Christians (especially Christian children) to use their blood for religious ritual purposes such as an ingredient in the baking of Passover matzah (unleavened bread). This myth -- also sometimes called the "ritual murder charge" -- dates back to the Middle Ages, It has persisted despite Jewish denials and official repudiations by the Catholic Church and many secular authorities. The blood libel also has modern-day currency in the Arab world, where some television programs have used it as a plot line and editorial cartoonists have evoked it in their efforts to foment hatred of the Jewish people. In truth, and it should be obvious, accusing Jews of ritual murder is a far greater attack on Jews than calling them kikes or other names. It has led to mob violence and pogroms, and has on occasion even led to the decimation of entire Jewish communities. And the libel is alive and well in today's world. We do not believe that Facebook intends to send a message that it is insensitive to the enormous harm the blood libel has caused throughout Jewish history. The easiest way for the company to make that clear would be to exercise the discretion it certainly has to remove the page. Related Links:Activist group to debut barcode-scanning boycott Israel appThe 404 1,440: Where we channel surf with Sadie Gennis (podcast)Appeals court orders YouTube to take down anti-Islamic filmFacebook to police private sale of firearmsFacebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg phones Obama about NSA

Why a Comcast merger could be good for TWC customers[ Sat, 15 Mar 2014 11:00:00 GMT ] Time Warner Cable CEO Rob Marcus thinks the $45.2 billion megamerger with Comcast is a win for Time Warner Cable subscribers. Speaking at the Deutsche Bank Media, Internet & Telecom Conference in Palm Beach, Fla., earlier this week, Marcus called the deal a "dream combination" that allows the companies to "innovate at a rapid pace." I know what you're thinking: Of course he likes this deal. His company is getting bought out for $45.2 billion. And Marcus, who is paid in excess of $10 million a year, is the guy who spearheaded this tie-up in the first place. And there's little doubt he will profit handsomely from the acquisition. But hear me out. He might actually be right. As a Time Warner Cable customer for more than 15 years, I can attest that the service I've been getting for nearly two decades is nothing to write home about. And the bottom line is that the services that Comcast offers its customers today is simply better than what's available to Time Warner Cable consumers. Related stories Time Warner Cable CEO reiterates confidence in Comcast deal Comcast to offer 'House of Cards' to Xfinity customers Rereading the tea leaves in the Netflix-Comcast deal Comcast extends 'Internet Essentials' program indefinitely Comcast to buy video-ad platform FreeWheel for about $320M "Comcast is more innovative than any other operator when it comes to video service," said Erik Brannon, senior analyst for US Television at IHS. "By contrast Time Warner Cable has been less interested in things like converting analog subscribers to digital subscribers. And the implication is that on the whole their network is not quite as robust as Comcast's." Even though Comcast hasn't made any promises about when or where Time Warner Cable customers will get Comcast's suite of services, it's clear these offerings will eventually make it to Time Warner Cable territory. And that could be a very good thing for Time Warner customers in spite of concerns that the cable giant is getting even larger. "Some features and services people can expect relatively quickly after the merger," said Marcien Jenckes, executive vice president of consumer services for Comcast. "Today we're the leaders in terms of broadband speeds, TV content catalog and experience, as well as TV Everywhere. And Time Warner Cable customers can expect all of this over time." It's hard not to be skeptical I realize many consumers are skeptical of big mergers such as this one. And this particular merger is as big as they get. Comcast and Time Warner Cable are the No. 1 and No. 2 cable operators in the country. The combined company would control 33 million broadband connections. Together the companies will be in 19 of the 20 largest metro markets in the country. So it's easy to see why people are concerned and even skeptical of a deal that concentrates so much power in the hands of one company. Comcast headquarters in Philadephia. (Credit: Comcast) Add on top of that, the fact that rates on expanded basic cable TV service have increased by more than 20 percent in recent years, it's hard to imagine that a merger of this proportion could be positive for consumers. Don't forget, Philadelphia-based Comcast and New York-based Time Warner Cable consistently rank at the bottom of most customer satisfaction surveys. What many consumer advocates and lawmakers such as Senator Al Franken (D-Minn.) surmise is that this must mean bad news for consumers. "I think consumers will end up paying more," Franken said Monday on the "CBS This Morning" show, according to Variety. "There will be less competition; there will be less innovation and, worse, even worse service." These are indeed legitimate fears. It's difficult to imagine that a merger of this size would actually lead to better customer service and satisfaction. I also am not so bold as to predict that prices might actually go down for former Time Warner Cable customers. In fact, Comcast's own David Cohen has admitted he can't make that assurance either: "We're certainly not promising that customer bills are going to go down or even increase less rapidly." Still, the reality is that when you really look at Comcast's network and services, and even its pricing, compared to Time Warner Cable's services, an argument can be made that Time Warner Cable customers may have a lot to gain from being converted to Comcast customers. "For all the complaints about how expensive cable TV is, Comcast has traditionally offered its customers the best bang for the buck in the industry," said Craig Moffett, an equities analyst with MoffettNathanson. More value for your money, especially in video When it comes to video service, there's no question that Comcast has a better offering compared with what Time Warner Cable offers today. From its video-on-demand catalog to its TV Everywhere service to a cloud-based user interface it's been developing the past couple of years, Comcast has invested heavily in revamping its TV service, and it shows. "Comcast has really focused on investing in its network," IHS analyst Brannon said. "Time Warner Cable has been reacting to changes in the market too, but not with the same speed or veracity that Comcast has. And they've suffered as a consequence." Specifically, Time Warner Cable has been less interested and less willing to spend money to upgrade its network to digital transmission. The result has been that Time Warner Cable offers fewer high-definition on-demand streams and its TV Everywhere product, which allows people to view TV on mobile devices anywhere, has been limited in terms of available programming. Meanwhile, Comcast offers more video-on-demand content than any other paid TV provider in the country. This includes a library of movies and TV shows that totals more than 50,000 titles that are free or can be rented for a fee. Additionally, Comcast is the leader in TV Everywhere. Through its Xfinity TV Go app, viewers can watch 35 live TV channels on their tablets or smartphones. This compares with a mere 12 TV Everywhere channels available from Time Warner. Comcast customers also get access to more than 25,000 on-demand shows and videos through the app. And Comcast is constantly in search of new content to add to its portfolio. It recently announced it has struck deals with Sony Pictures and Lions Gate to start offering "House of Cards" and "Orange Is the New Black" to its lineup of on-demand content. Up until these deals, these two TV series were exclusive to Netflix subscribers. But Comcast hasn't stopped there. It also has revamped its user interface and program guide based on a new cloud architecture it calls X1. Not only are the program guide and user interface much more interactive, which allows for more personalization, but the X1 platform allows subscribers to access TV shows and movies in new ways. Comcast's new TV listing guide is powered by its X1 cloud infrastructure. (Credit: Comcast) For example, Comcast subscribers can view all live TV and recorded DVR shows on their mobile devices while in the home via the X1 platform. And they can even download recorded content from their DVR on their mobile devices for viewing outside the home. Comcast is testing the service right now in Boston and hopes to have it rolled out to the rest of its territory later this year. "When we ask people to pay $70 a month, we want to make sure we're delivering a value," Comcast's Jenckes said. "In fact, our job is to deliver the best price value to our subscribers. And we are achieving that in ways that no one else in the industry can match." Shooting itself in the foot A lack of technology investment isn't the only reason why Time Warner Cable's service trails behind Comcast's. The company also has a history of contentious negotiations with programmers over digital video rights. As a result, the company has not been able to add as many channels to its TV Everywhere service or as many titles to its VOD service as Comcast. But there have been other consequences as well. A dispute this past summer over retransmission fees with broadcaster CBS led to a weeks-long black-out of CBS programming for Time Warner Cable customers. (CBS is the parent company of CNET.) Some 300,000 Time Warner Cable TV subscribers left over the debacle. "The general feeling in the industry is that Time Warner Cable has been more resistant in terms of fee increases for content," Brannon said. "This reluctance has put them behind others in terms of their TV Everywhere offering." Brannon added that companies, such as Comcast, which have been more willing to negotiate terms with content owners, have a broader TV Everywhere portfolio. "TV Everywhere is an essential feature in all video carriage negotiations these days," he said. "There is an inherent trade-off between features versus cost, but all cable video services are under pressure to get these deals done." Better broadband Video isn't the only area in which Time Warner Cable customers can expect to see improvements. Comcast also has been a leader among cable operators in driving higher broadband speeds. It was one of the first cable operators to deploy Docsis 3.0 technology standards, which offer more capacity on broadband networks. While Google has made a splash over the past year with its 1Gbps high-speed Internet service in Kansas City and is now expanding to additional markets, Comcast was the first cable operator to demonstrate a 1Gbps speed download over a traditional HFC, or hybrid fiber-coaxial, network. And at last year's National Cable and Telecommunications conference, the company showed off a 3Gbps download. Today, the fastest broadband service Comcast offers widely is 105Mbps, which is about double the speed that Time Warner is offering in most of its market. That said, Time Warner is offering a 100Mbps service in Kansas City, where not-so-coincidentally Google has deployed its 1Gpbs service. Time Warner Cable also will offer 100Mbps service in Austin, Texas, where AT&T and Google have each pledged to build 1Gbps fiber networks. Of course, some people have questioned why Comcast, which has shown off technology for achieving gigabit-speed broadband, hasn't offered such speeds itself. It's a valid question that I've asked myself. The company claims there isn't enough consumer demand. And indeed at the high prices Comcast and other cable operators are likely to charge for these super high-speed connections, that is likely the case. But given the fact that Time Warner Cable has never been considered a leader in terms of broadband speeds, it's hard to argue that through its merger with Comcast, the market would be losing a competitive force that is driving the industry toward higher-speed connections. Rather, I would argue that the telephone companies -- AT&T and Verizon Communications -- and to a much lesser extent, Google, are providing more incentive to all cable operators to increase their network speeds. Comcast actually faces less competition in its markets from Google and the phone companies than Time Warner Cable, and the increased exposure to this threat could spur faster improvement in the network. "AT&T and Verizon are exerting tremendous pressure on the cable operators," Brannon said. "In many ways their technology is superior to the cable operators'." A Comcast truck is seen parked at one of its centers on February 13 in Pompano Beach, Fla. (Credit: Joe Raedle/Getty Images) If there is a downside to the deal for consumers, it's that one company would have unprecedented control over which cable channels can and can't be seen by millions of Americans, and even whether some independent programmers would be economically viable, Moffett said. This argument comes down to the fact that since Comcast will be controlling so many of the nation's TV subscribers and because it already controls a lot of the cable content via its acquisition of NBC Universal, the company will have much more negotiating power and in some cases control over programmers. During his interview at the Deutsche Bank conference, Marcus laughed off the idea that a combined company with greater purchasing power would cause programmers to suffer. "I just find these types of concerns ironic, especially when programming costs in recent years have risen to a level that is greater than what the consumer market will bear," he said. There are also fears that the merger would lead to a similar level of control over broadband networks, which Moffett pointed out raises its own set of concerns surrounding Net neutrality. Again, the fear is that Comcast will control so much of the nation's broadband infrastructure that it will force content providers to pay fees or threaten to block or intentionally slow traffic. But Moffett said that even these concerns are likely overblown. "It is the broadband concerns that will likely attract the more visceral reactions," Moffett said. "But truth be told, the rules governing anticompetitive behavior are probably already relatively well suited to prevent anything egregious, including almost any violations of Net neutrality, with or without Net neutrality-specific rules."Related Links:Not worried about Comcast-Time Warner Cable? You should beWhat Comcast's buyout of Time Warner Cable means for you (FAQ)Comcast, Time Warner Cable to unite in $45.2B mergerWill Comcast and Time Warner be AT&T and T-Mobile redux?Comcast really, really doesn't care about you (allegedly)

Oculus Rift demo wows SXSW[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:28:43 EDT ]Night gathers, and now your watch begins.

Flashbacks from Web's 25 years[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 08:30:23 EDT ]From Napster to balloon-powered Internet, here is a look back at the history of the World Wide Web

LeBron's Samsung tweet gaffe[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 16:52:19 EDT ]In the tech world, paying a celebrity to love your product can sometimes backfire.

5 things we learned at SXSW Interactive[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 14:43:21 EDT ]Even when pared down to just its Interactive portion, South by Southwest can feel like a huge and amorphous thing -- sort of like, as director Hugh Forrest says, the Internet itself.

Robot band gives new meaning to heavy metal[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 07:38:59 EDT ]What has 78 fingers, 22 arms, and no brain? Answer: The coolest robot band you've ever seen.

Man Arrested for Using Twitter to Threaten Shooting[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 23:19:08 GMT ]The account showed the suspect allegedly pointing a rifle in the direction of various Los Angles city streets, police said.

Huawei Making Dual Windows-Android Smartphone[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 00:52:20 GMT ]The Chinese device maker plans to release a dual Windows Phone-Android-powered smartphone in the U.S. in the coming months.

Facebook Users: Get Ready To Scroll Past Video Ads[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 00:52:22 GMT ]We've been hearing for almost a year that Facebook would soon be adding auto-playing video ads to your stream, and the final countdown has begun.

Scientists' Secret Weapon to Find Debris Underwater[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 01:07:57 GMT ]If the missing plane is, in fact, at the bottom of the ocean – something yet to be determined – then locating the wreckage could take a very long time.

'StingRay': Records Show Secret Cellphone Surveillance by Calif. Cops[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 08:50:50 GMT ]A number of police departments in California have been using controversial "StingRay" type of cellular interception devices for at least six years, with little or no disclosure, according to documents obtained by Sacramento's News10.

AT&T completes $1.2B acquisition of Leap Wireless[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 03:14:54 GMT ] (Credit: CNET/Marguerite Reardon) AT&T announced late Thursday that it had completed its $1.2 billion acquisition of prepaid wireless provider Leap Wireless and the Cricket brand. The deal, announced last July, was granted approval earlier Thursday by the Federal Communications Commission. Because the US Justice Department did not raise any antitrust objections, the carrier closed the deal Thursday afternoon after receiving the FCC's blessing. While the FCC said it had concerns about the deal's impact on competition, the commission said those concerns were mitigated by AT&T's plans to deploy LTE service on used Leap spectrum and pledges to divest itself of spectrum in certain markets. Related stories AT&T wins FCC approval of $1.2B deal for Leap Wireless AT&T throws cold water on European acquisitions AT&T offers price cut for 2GB 'Mobile Share Value' plans The carrier has also agreed to LTE service in six markets in south Texas within 18 months as well as offering special rate plans to Lifeline customers and feature phone trade-in programs for Leap customers prior to phasing out CDMA. The wireless giant has agreed to pay $15 a share in cash for Leap's wireless network, which covers about 97 million people in 35 states. As part of the agreement, AT&T will get Leap's wireless properties, including its licenses, network assets, and stores, as well as its subscribers, which number around 5 million. AT&T said it plans to relaunch the Cricket brand, giving customers access to its nationwide 4G LTE network. The carrier said it expects to complete customer migration to the new Cricket in about 18 months. Related Links:AT&T wins FCC approval of $1.2B deal for Leap WirelessAT&T throws cold water on European acquisitionsWill Comcast and Time Warner be AT&T and T-Mobile redux?T-Mobile to shut off MetroPCS network in three cities in 2014What Comcast's buyout of Time Warner Cable means for you (FAQ)

Xbox One almost catches PlayStation 4 in February[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 03:50:00 GMT ] Xbox One. Microsoft almost caught Sony on unit sales in February and beat Sony on revenue, says NPD. (Credit: Microsoft) After reporting no sales figures in January, Microsoft is trumpeting its February numbers after a market researcher showed it gaining on Sony's PlayStation 4 in the U.S. Though the PlayStation 4 (PS4) led hardware sales in February, it was only "by a narrow margin," according to the NPD Group, as reported by Bloomberg. Related stories The 404 1,443: Where we're taking the couch by storm (podcast) Xbox Live struggles with access issues as Titanfall launches The Xbox One sold "over 90 percent of what the PS4 sold in terms of unit sales," according to NPD analyst Liam Callahan. But because of Xbox One's higher price, "it led hardware sales on a dollar basis," he added. Microsoft, in a blog post, provided the exact numbers, comparing Xbox One to Xbox 360 sales: "February NPD Group figures released today showed that Xbox One continues selling at a record-breaking pace with 258,000 units sold in the US in the month of February, surpassing Xbox 360 sales by over 61 percent at the same point in time." Neither NPD nor Sony specified a PS4 sales figure for February. And note that the February sales number for Microsoft came well before its Titanfall title was released -- that was on March 11. So, Microsoft could get a boost from that game this month. Some theories for the surge include gamers buying the Xbox One in anticipation of Titanfall and/or consumers not being able to get their hands on the PS4, which has been in short supply. Sony still leads Microsoft in worldwide sales, though. Sony said it had sold 6 million PS4s through March 2, while Microsoft sold 3.9 million Xbox Ones in 2013. Related Links:Sony PlayStation 4 sales top 5 million worldwideSony PlayStation 4 racks up 6 million salesPlayStation 4 beats out Xbox One as the best-selling consoleHBO Go lands on PS3Microsoft rolls out Xbox One update ahead of Titanfall launch

Pi Day celebrations kick off with a 'pi in the sky'[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 04:15:37 GMT ] Pi Day skywriting by AirSign aircrafts in Austin. (Credit: Sara Stevens) With everybody's favorite holiday around the corner -- Pi Day, of course -- celebrations have already begun to take place around the US. Sky gazers in Austin, Texas, may have noticed something interesting happening with skywriting airplanes on Thursday -- namely, a "pi in the sky." To celebrate Pi Day and honor the great mathematical constant of 3.141592 etc., AirSign aircrafts took to the skies to attempt to spell out the infinite pi sequence across 100 miles of sky in Austin. Related stories Want to be better at math? Electric shocks could help Microsoft's unXcellent math adventure in new Surface 2 ad Google subtracts MathML from Chrome, and anger multiplies God exists, say Apple fanboy scientists Amazon buys math education company TenMarks The skywriting was part of a public art project put on by AirSign and California artist ISHKY to applaud the "universal language of pi and the limitless potential it represents," an AirSign spokesperson told CNET. The hundreds of numbers written across the afternoon sky were done by five synchronized AirSign aircrafts flying at 10,000 feet using dot-matrix technology. The numbers -- each measuring a quarter-mile in height -- were written out in a spiral that eventually became several miles wide. "Pi In The Sky explores the boundaries of scale, public space, impermanence, and the relationship between Earth and the physical universe," AirSign said in a statement. Pi Day, March 14 (3/14), was commemorated as an official holiday by Congress in 2009. The idea was to draw attention to improving math and science education in the US. Celebrations have often included eating pies, reciting as much of the pi number sequence as possible, and talking about the significance of the mystifying number. AirSign's airplanes get ready to take off in Austin. (Credit: AirSign) Related Links:Breathalyzer says man is sober, still arrested for DWIStar Apps: David JAereo goes big in Texas, planning Austin launch nextCrazy ants learn to neutralize fire ants' deadly venomControversy after cops' aggressive arrest of jogger wearing earbuds

Russia blocks access to several Web sites critical of Putin[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 05:00:09 GMT ] The government of Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, left, ordered the blockage of several opposition Web sites. (Credit: Alexey Nikolsky/AFP/Getty Images) The Russian government has blocked several Russian Web sites noted for their criticism of Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his government. Russian Internet service providers were ordered Thursday to cut off access to a handful of sites, including those of opposition leader Alexei Navalny and famed chess champion Garry Kasparov, who runs opposition information site kasparov.ru. The order came down from the prosecutor general's office, according to a statement by state regulator Roskomnadzo (Google translation). "These sites contain incitement to illegal activity and participation in public events held in violation of the established order," the agency said. Other banned Web sites include the opposition news portals Grani and Ej.ru. Navalny's blog was blocked over the alleged violation of the terms of a house arrest recently imposed on the opposition leader. Putin's government, which has been roundly criticized by opposition press for recent military incursion on the Crimean peninsula, is apparently utilizing a law approved in 2012 that allows the government to selectively censor Web pages within its borders because of content that it believes is illegal or harmful to children. Related stories Is Venezuela blocking the Internet amid violence? Microsoft accused of censoring Chinese search results in US Bing censors Chinese search results in the US? Russia has been pushing for increased controls over the Internet, proposing amendments to a UN telecommunications treaty earlier that year that said the public should have unrestricted access to international telecommunication services, "except in cases where international telecommunication services are used for the purpose of interfering in the internal affairs or undermining the sovereignty, national security, territorial integrity and public safety of other states, or to divulge information of a sensitive nature." The Electronic Freedom Foundation criticized Thursday's move, saying that the censorship violated the right to freedom of expression guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. "We are especially concerned about the censorship of independent news and opposing political views, which are essential to a thriving civil society," the organization said in statement, noting that Russians can still visit the banned Web sites via the Tor browser. The US-based Tor Project, which is devoted to providing a system that lets people use the Internet anonymously, is perhaps best known for helping Iranians sidestep increased Internet restrictions put in place by the country's government. Related Links:Kill the Snowden interview, congressman tells SXSWUkraine under cyberattack as US-Russia tensions riseShort people may be short on brains, study saysMicrosoft accused of censoring Chinese search results in USIs Venezuela blocking the Internet amid violence?

Crave giveaway: $500 shopping spree from Rakuten.com Shopping[ Fri, 14 Mar 2014 07:00:00 GMT ] Hmmm, so many choices... (Click to enlarge.) (Credit: Screenshot by Leslie Katz/CNET) Readers have loved past shopping sprees at Rakuten.com Shopping, so we're back with another one, and it's big-ticket. This week's winner gets a $500 gift certificate from the massive online retailer, which sells everything from consumer electronics to furniture, clothes, shoes, jewelry, toys, sports gear, and well, more stuff upon stuff. Yep, $500. And next week marks a great time to go all consumer-crazy up on Rakuten.com Shopping, since it will hold a big sale, with goods up to 70 percent off sitewide. So how do you go about scoring a $500 blank check from Rakuten.com Shopping (formerly Buy.com)? There are a few rules, so please read carefully before you start composing your shopping list. Register as a CNET user. Go to the top of this page and hit the "Join CNET" link to start the registration process. If you're already registered, there's no need to register again. Leave a comment below. You can leave whatever comment you want. If it's funny or insightful, it won't help you win, but we're trying to have fun here, so anything entertaining is appreciated. Leave only one comment. You may enter for this specific giveaway only once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified. The winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) gift certificate from Rakuten.com Shopping, with a retail value of $500. If you are chosen, you will be notified via email. The winner must respond within three days of the end of the sweepstakes. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen. Entries can be submitted until 12 p.m. ET on Monday, March 17. And here's the disclaimer that our legal department said we had to include (sorry for the caps, but rules are rules): NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING. YOU HAVE NOT YET WON. MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES OR D.C., 18 YEARS OLD OR AGE OF MAJORITY, WHICHEVER IS OLDER IN YOUR STATE OF RESIDENCE AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS, AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes ends at 12 p.m. ET on Monday, March 17, 2014. See official rules for details. Good luck.Related Links:Rakuten snaps up messaging app maker Viber for $900MIf WhatsApp can fetch $19B, what's BlackBerry's BBM worth?Use TheFind on Android to shop, compare retail outletsCrave giveaway: Philips Fidelio SoundRing wireless speakerAmazon Prime: Still a good deal at $99?

Oculus Rift demo wows SXSW[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:28:43 EDT ]Night gathers, and now your watch begins.

Flashbacks from Web's 25 years[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 08:30:23 EDT ]From Napster to balloon-powered Internet, here is a look back at the history of the World Wide Web

LeBron's Samsung tweet gaffe[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 16:52:19 EDT ]In the tech world, paying a celebrity to love your product can sometimes backfire.

5 things we learned at SXSW Interactive[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 14:43:21 EDT ]Even when pared down to just its Interactive portion, South by Southwest can feel like a huge and amorphous thing -- sort of like, as director Hugh Forrest says, the Internet itself.

5 things we learned at SXSW[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 14:46:20 EDT ]Even when pared down to just its Interactive portion, South by Southwest can feel like a huge and amorphous thing -- sort of like, as director Hugh Forrest says, the Internet itself.

Samsung's LeBron Ragetweets Phone Failure, Then Hits Delete[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 22:35:40 GMT ]LeBron James isn't happy with Samsung's Next Big Thing.The four-time NBA MVP took to Twitter Wednesday afternoon to voice his discontent with his mobile device, presumably a Samsung device, given that James is a company spokesman.

Smile, Seattle! Police Now Can Use Facial Recognition Software[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 22:35:40 GMT ]Seattle residents might not have to worry about being filmed by drones. That doesn’t mean police won’t be able to pick out their faces from the security cameras that already exist.

NSA's Malware Methods Outed in Latest Leak[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 22:51:05 GMT ]The latest report from the top-secret documents that former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden made off with describes the agency's efforts to infect and monitor PCs much in the way ordinary hackers do.

'Titanfall': Has EA Finally Found Its 'Call of Duty' Killer?[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 00:08:18 GMT ]The next-generation console war officially began in November, when Sony and Microsoft released the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, respectively. But for many gamers, the battle truly started this week.

Samsung's LeBron Ragetweets Phone Failure, Then Hits Delete[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 00:39:22 GMT ]The four-time NBA MVP took to Twitter Wednesday to voice his discontent with his mobile device, then apparently thought better of it.

Doctors testing Google Glass to get real-time patient data[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 01:57:08 GMT ] A doctor uses Google Glass at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. (Credit: John Halamka) While the general public appears to still be making up its mind about Google Glass and the idea of wearing a face computer, in some fields of work the wearable could be a helpful asset. One such field is medicine. By using Glass, doctors won't have to use their hands to dig through files, search computers, or look up facts on a tablet. With a simple nod of the head or blink of the eye, they could get all of the real-time information they need without having to leave a patient. Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston has been testing Google Glass with four of its emergency room doctors for the past three months, according to a blog post by the center's chief information officer, Dr. John Halamka. The center found that the wearable has proven helpful with getting summarized real-time information to the doctors. "We believe the ability to access and confirm clinical information at the bedside is one of the strongest features of Google Glass," Halamka wrote. "I believe wearable computing will replace tablet-based computing for many clinicians who need their hands free and instant access to information." Related stories Joy! Google Glass app tells you how other people are feeling Corning exec slams sapphire -- rumored for Apple device Google Glass updates slow down ahead of KitKat upgrade The definitive guide to not being a Glasshole Google Glass blamed for melee in SF bar Using Glass, the doctors have been able to access the medical center's internal Web-based emergency room dashboard while ensuring that all patient data stayed securely within the center's firewall. This means the clinicians were able to speak with and examine patients at the same time they saw the data from the dashboard. As far as patient's reactions to Google Glass, Halamka wrote that no one expressed concern about the device. "Boston is home to many techies and a few patients asked detailed questions about the technology," he wrote. "The bright orange pair of Glass we have been testing is as subtle as a neon hunter's vest, so it was hard to miss." Halamka said that the medical center will continue to test Glass with more of its doctors. [Via Ars Technica]Related Links:Docs turn to silkworms to spin a better bone implantBlippar shows real-time object recognition AR for Google GlassThe two things that need to happen before wearable tech goes mainstream: Google and AppleIBM to take Watson mobile with developer challengeGoogle Glass blamed for melee in SF bar

Analysts on Apple: Looking to iPhone 6 upside[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 02:30:01 GMT ] iPhone 6 mock-up. (Credit: Ciccarese Design) Wedge Partners and Pacific Crest weighed in on the rumored iPhone 6 this week, with Wedge also offering speculation on other possible products like the iWatch and a bigger iPad as well as strategies for services at Apple. Overall, the research note from Wedge Partners' Brian Blair, as posted by Barron's, was upbeat, stating that "Apple's next array of products" provide an "opportunity" for investors. Apple shares have an upside this year of more than 20 percent, he said. Related stories LG G3 could be dustproof and water resistant, report indicates This holographic iPhone 6 concept could change everything Andy Hargreaves at Pacific Crest was also optimistic, citing the iPhone 6. "Apple is likely to choose its opportunities and timing extraordinarily carefully and release new products or services only when it feels it has the best chance to succeed," Hargreaves said. Here's what Blair and Hargreaves expect from Apple this year. Big-screen iPhone 6: --Blair: Expects Apple to offer a 4.8-inch iPhone option this Fall to address a product gap. Strong adoption in Asia and at new carrier partner China Mobile. --Hargreaves: Believes Apple will release a 4.7-inch iPhone 6 in the fall. Thinks Apple will charge $299 for the phone with contract (the iPhone 5S starts at $199). The relatively negative reception for the iPhone 5C shows that Apple's customers will spend more for a better product, he said. Hargreaves doesn't think Apple will bring out a 5.5-inch class phablet. iPad Convertible and/or new MacBook Air: "We believe Apple has been testing 12-inch panels for a potential new product. ... This product could be shown at WWDC," according to Blair. (Note: some analysts have referred to an analogous product as the "iPad Pro.") iWatch or iBand: Blair believes that the Asia supply chain is gearing up for a September release. "We expect Apple to release a wrist-worn computing device with a curved screen that will tie-in notifications, activity tracking, and fitness/health monitoring into a [new] platform." Mobile payment: Blair cites Tim Cook as saying that the mobile payments space is intriguing and cites several related patents filed by Apple. "This fall, we expect Touch ID to be built into all of the new iPhones and iPads. Either ahead of or shortly after the rollout of Touch ID across the next wave of iOS devices, we believe Apple will introduce its payment platform." Blair also mentioned that Apple will 'ultimately" launch an iTV but didn't give any timeframe. And he had some caveats about Apple too, including soft demand for the iPhone 5C (echoing Hargreaves) and a continued slowdown in the high-end smartphone market. Related Links:An Apple watch? The hints have been out there'iPad Pro' iffy, Microsoft Office on iPad 'alive' in 2014: ReportsThe two things that need to happen before wearable tech goes mainstream: Google and AppleCorning exec slams sapphire -- rumored for Apple deviceApple, Elon Musk and interplanetary travel

Apple devices said to get free in-flight movies on United[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 03:04:00 GMT ] United Airline's iOS app. (Credit: United Airlines) Word has it that iPhone, iPad, and Mac users will soon get to access more than 150 movies and about 200 TV shows for free when flying on United Airlines, according to Patently Apple. Come April, the airlines is said to be rolling out an update to its iOS app that will come with the added feature of an in-flight movie service. To get the purported service, users must be running iOS 7. For those with Macs, Patently Apple reports that no app is necessary to get the in-flight service. The movie service is said to only be available for Apple devices for now. It's unclear if Android or other operating systems could get the service. Related stories Lufthansa plans to beam in-flight movies to your devices Target hack hits 40M accounts Delta puts the kibosh on in-flight cell phone calls FCC vote opens door to end ban on in-flight calls FCC considers lifting cell phone ban on planes Initially, the in-flight entertainment is said to only be available on a select few aircrafts, but then may spread across United's fleet. "Most planes will be equipped with the new system very soon, and we'll have it installed on most domestic aircraft by the end of 2014," United said, according to Patently Apple. "We'll begin on Airbus A319, Airbus A320, Boeing 747-400 and select 777-200 aircraft, followed by additional fleets." United isn't the only airline reportedly looking to debut personal in-flight entertainment. Lufthansa is also said to be planning to beam in-flight movies to Android, iOS, and Windows Phone devices via its BoardConnect entertainment system. And, Southwest currently offers similar entertainment services via Wi-Fi -- but for a fee. CNET contacted United for comment. We'll update the story when we get more information.Related Links:Lufthansa plans to beam in-flight movies to your devicesApple, Elon Musk and interplanetary travelNokia Mix Radio will be a 'key contributor' to Microsoft, says Nokia execDelta's international in-flight Wi-Fi expansion begins its rollout next monthSmartphone shipments hit the 1B mark for the first time

<p style="font-weight:normal;font-size:15px;"> <div style="font-weight:normal;font-size:15px;" style="clear:both;"> <a href="http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/cnet/tcoc/~3/ZM1uN7M3bsM/story01.htm" target="_blank">At least two killed as car crashes into crowd near SXSW festival</a><BR><i>[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 07:01:45 GMT ]</i><BR><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57620269-93/at-least-two-killed-as-car-crashes-into-crowd-near-sxsw-festival/?part=rss&subj=latest-news2&tag=image"><img vspace="4" hspace="4" border="1" src="http://i.i.cbsi.com/cnwk.1d/i/tim2/2014/03/13/BilbySECQAAkEKV.jpg" alt="" /></a></div> <a href="https://twitter.com/colinkerrigan/status/443986957794676736/photo/1" > </a> <p class="image-caption">Bystanders attend to victims of car crash at South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, Thursday morning.</p> <span class="image-credit"> (Credit: <a href="https://twitter.com/colinkerrigan"> Colin Kerrigan/Twitter</a>) </span> </p><p> Two people were killed and nearly two dozen others were injured early Thursday when a suspected drunken driver drove a car into a crowd of people near the South by Southwest festival in Austin, Texas, according to the Austin Police Department. </p> <p>APD working a multiple fatality crash at 10th/Red River. PIO is responding.</p>&#8212; Austin Police Dept (@Austin_Police) <a href="https://twitter.com/Austin_Police/statuses/443992439246692354">March 13, 2014</a> <p> Details are scarce at this time, but Twitter reports from the scene indicated that a car drove into a crowd of people outside the Mohawk bar at East 10th Street and Red River Street around 12:30 a.m. local time. Twenty-three people were transported to hospitals with injuries, five in critical condition, Austin Police <a href="https://twitter.com/Austin_Police/status/444000795323662337">reported on Twitter</a>. </p><p> Images and video captured of the scene after the crash and posted to social media show victims of the crash strewn along on the street with bystanders leaning over them administering first aid. </p> <p> The driver of the vehicle, who was taken into custody not long after the crash, is suspected of driving under the influence, authorities said at a press conference early Thursday. More details are expected later Thursday. Police also said the identities of the deceased would be withheld pending notification of next of kin. </p> <p> Not long after news of the crash began to circulate, on-demand car service Uber <a href="https://twitter.com/Uber_ATX/status/444007726285217793" >announced on Twitter</a> that all rides originating from the area around the crash scene would be free. </p><p> Video of the scene captured by Socrates Villarreal is embedded below: </p><p> ) Updated 3/13 at 1 a.m. PT with details from police press conference.</i> </p><br/><br/><b>Related Links:</b><br/><a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-57619095-37/apple-itunes-festival-slated-for-sxsw/?part=rss&subj=latest-news2&tag=related">Apple iTunes Festival slated for SXSW</a><br/><a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57620130-83/in-most-anticipated-sxsw-talk-in-years-snowden-fires-up-austin/?part=rss&subj=latest-news2&tag=related">In most-anticipated SXSW talk in years, Snowden fires up Austin</a><br/><a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-10797_3-57620149-235/southwest-finally-rolling-out-mobile-boarding-passes/?part=rss&subj=latest-news2&tag=related">Southwest (finally) rolling out mobile boarding passes</a><br/><a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57619889-83/edward-snowden-to-speak-at-south-by-southwest/?part=rss&subj=latest-news2&tag=related">Edward Snowden to speak at South by Southwest</a><br/><a href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-6495_7-57620188/neil-youngs-ponomusic-hits-kickstarter/?part=rss&subj=latest-news2&tag=related">Neil Young's PonoMusic hits Kickstarter</a><br/><img width='1' height='1' src='http://cnet.com.feedsportal.com/c/34938/f/645093/s/381f3c2e/sc/10/mf.gif' border='0'/><br clear='all'/><div class='mf-viral'><table border='0'><tr><td valign='middle'><a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/share/twitter/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.cnet.com%2F8301-1023_3-57620269-93%2Fat-least-two-killed-as-car-crashes-into-crowd-near-sxsw-festival%2F%3Fpart%3Drss%26subj%3Dlatest-news2%26tag%3Dtitle&t=At+least+two+killed+as+car+crashes+into+crowd+near+SXSW+festival" target="_blank"><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/twitter.png" border="0" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/share/facebook/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.cnet.com%2F8301-1023_3-57620269-93%2Fat-least-two-killed-as-car-crashes-into-crowd-near-sxsw-festival%2F%3Fpart%3Drss%26subj%3Dlatest-news2%26tag%3Dtitle&t=At+least+two+killed+as+car+crashes+into+crowd+near+SXSW+festival" target="_blank"><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/facebook.png" border="0" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/share/linkedin/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.cnet.com%2F8301-1023_3-57620269-93%2Fat-least-two-killed-as-car-crashes-into-crowd-near-sxsw-festival%2F%3Fpart%3Drss%26subj%3Dlatest-news2%26tag%3Dtitle&t=At+least+two+killed+as+car+crashes+into+crowd+near+SXSW+festival" target="_blank"><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/linkedin.png" border="0" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/share/gplus/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.cnet.com%2F8301-1023_3-57620269-93%2Fat-least-two-killed-as-car-crashes-into-crowd-near-sxsw-festival%2F%3Fpart%3Drss%26subj%3Dlatest-news2%26tag%3Dtitle&t=At+least+two+killed+as+car+crashes+into+crowd+near+SXSW+festival" target="_blank"><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/googleplus.png" border="0" /></a>&nbsp;<a href="http://share.feedsportal.com/share/email/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fnews.cnet.com%2F8301-1023_3-57620269-93%2Fat-least-two-killed-as-car-crashes-into-crowd-near-sxsw-festival%2F%3Fpart%3Drss%26subj%3Dlatest-news2%26tag%3Dtitle&t=At+least+two+killed+as+car+crashes+into+crowd+near+SXSW+festival" target="_blank"><img src="http://res3.feedsportal.com/social/email.png" border="0" /></a></td></tr></table></div><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801508697/u/49/f/645093/c/34938/s/381f3c2e/sc/10/rc/1/rc.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801508697/u/49/f/645093/c/34938/s/381f3c2e/sc/10/rc/1/rc.img" border="0"/></a><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801508697/u/49/f/645093/c/34938/s/381f3c2e/sc/10/rc/2/rc.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801508697/u/49/f/645093/c/34938/s/381f3c2e/sc/10/rc/2/rc.img" border="0"/></a><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801508697/u/49/f/645093/c/34938/s/381f3c2e/sc/10/rc/3/rc.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801508697/u/49/f/645093/c/34938/s/381f3c2e/sc/10/rc/3/rc.img" border="0"/></a><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801508697/u/49/f/645093/c/34938/s/381f3c2e/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/191801508697/u/49/f/645093/c/34938/s/381f3c2e/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/191801508697/u/49/f/645093/c/34938/s/381f3c2e/a2t.img" border="0"/><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/cnet/tcoc/~4/ZM1uN7M3bsM" height="1" width="1"/> </div> <span style="float:left;position:absolute;"></span> </p>

Despite complaints, most Adobe Creative Cloud subscribers plan to renew[ Thu, 13 Mar 2014 11:14:14 GMT ] Most Creative Cloud users surveyed by CNET and Jefferies plan to renew their subscriptions to Adobe's software and services. (Credit: CNET/Jefferies) Adobe Systems is having a hard time convincing skeptics that its Creative Cloud is worthwhile, but most of those who've signed up plan to renew their subscription to Adobe's software and services for another year's payments. Those are some of the findings from the latest survey from CNET and analyst firm Jefferies. We've been tracking the demise of Adobe's Creative Suite software, which is sold through perpetual licenses but no longer updated, and its Creative Cloud replacement, which grants access to the CS software, some extra new titles, and online services for publishing, sharing files, and promoting creative work. Related stories CNET survey: Will you renew your Creative Cloud subscription? Adobe stock hits all-time high on subscription shift Lightroom 5.3 supports Nikon Df and D610, Lumia 1020 phone Of the 187 respondents who are CC users, 58 percent said they planned to renew their subscriptions. About 20 percent said they wouldn't, and 23 percent didn't know. That may not be all Adobe is hoping for, but it's not bad given the dramatic, sometimes customer-alienating move to subscriptions. Adobe will tell how many new subscribers it's won over when it reports results for its first fiscal quarter of 2014 on Tuesday. Last quarter, Adobe reported reaching 1.44 million Creative Cloud subscribers at the end of November, sending its stock to an all-time high. It's risen since then, to close at $68.06 on Wednesday. Jefferies analyst Ross MacMillan estimates that Adobe will add another 399,000 subscribers in the most recent quarter. Gradually, the Creative Suite is becoming a thing of the past and the Creative Cloud is turning into business as usual. Despite the new signups, which are arriving faster than Adobe initially predicted, lots of customers are displeased with Adobe's move. They don't like the idea of software that stops working if they stop paying, leaving projects high and dry unless they resubscribe. Disgruntled customers have called upon Adobe to rethink its discontinuation of the perpetually licensed products, but Adobe is sticking with subscriptions. Though most still plan to renew their subscriptions, customer satisfaction with Adobe's Creative Cloud has dropped in recent surveys by CNET and Jefferies. (Credit: Jefferies) There are a variety of Creative Cloud subscriptions, but the most widely used gives creative pros access to the full collection of products and services at $50 a month for a full-year commitment. However, many customers got a first-year discounted rate of $30 per month. For those who want to reactivate a subscription for a short-term project, a single month costs $75. Other options include single-product subscriptions for $20 per month and the Photoshop Photography Program, which includes Lightroom and Photoshop for $10 a month, but which Adobe has said is a limited-time option. There are some signs of trouble. For example, the number of people saying they're satisfied or very satisfied with CC dropped from 88 percent in December 2012 to 51 percent in March 2014. And the number saying the planned not to renew increased from 16 percent to 20 percent. This wasn't a scientific survey, however. On the other hand, in the most recent survey, 9 percent of Creative Cloud subscribers said they weren't Adobe customers before, indicating there's a substantial possibility for attracting new buyers. For those who were customers, the largest number -- 46 percent -- moved from the most recent CS6 version of the Creative Suite products. Most Creative Cloud subscribers came from Adobe's latest CS6 products or suites, but 9 percent of those surveyed said they were new Adobe customers. (Credit: CNET/Jefferies) Creative Suite customers who said they're evaluating alternatives to Adobe named several competitors: 48 percent listed Apple; 45 percent listed Corel; 41 percent listed GIMP; 18 percent listed Quark; and 13 percent listed Xara. In the most recent survey, respondents were overall neutral on Adobe's importance in the creative market: of 354 respondents, 22 percent said it's becoming more important, 56 percent said there's no change, and 22 percent said it's becoming less important. Related Links:CNET survey: Will you renew your Creative Cloud subscription?Adobe brings Revel photo-sync service to AndroidOneDrive, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Box: Which cloud storage service is right for you?Microsoft's OneDrive to take on Google Drive and DropboxIBM to take Watson mobile with developer challenge

Web creator: We need Web freedom[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 08:27:33 EDT ]As the World Wide Web turns 25, its creator talks spying, censorship and freedom.

Flashbacks from Web's 25 years[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 08:30:23 EDT ]From Napster to balloon-powered Internet, here is a look back at the history of the World Wide Web

10 memes that owned the Internet[ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 12:39:10 EDT ]Here are the top 10 classic Internet memes that have defined our "cyberculture."

The early Web: Slow, simple, sparse[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 08:27:06 EDT ]It was 1993 when David Wood got his first look at the World Wide Web.

25 years of the World Wide Web[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 14:54:51 EDT ]

Twitter Crashes Second Time in Nine Days, Blames Software Glitch[ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 22:04:52 GMT ]Twitter crashed on Tuesday for the second time in nine days when a software glitch stalled the popular messaging service for about one hour.

Crowdsourced Jet Search Overwhelms Satellite Company's Servers[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 00:08:17 GMT ]A satellite imagery provider is trying to give people all over the world the opportunity to help search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet — but the demand is proving more than its servers can handle.

Teen Whiz Kids Bag $630,000 in Prizes at Intel Science Fair[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 01:10:22 GMT ]A 17-year-old from California took home $100,000 in prize money as winner of the Intel Science Talent Search for his work on anti-flu drugs.Eric Chen used computer models to pin down a potential class of drugs that would work by tripping up endonucleases, enzymes that viruses use to multiply.

For #Syria and Beyond, Charities Turn to Hashtags[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 10:12:05 GMT ]The civil war in Syria is not new. Unlike an earthquake or hurricane, people are not being flooded with around-the-clock images of rescue workers climbing through newly created rubble.So how does a charity drum up interest in a complicated, ongoing conflict?

Laser-Bending Chip Could Put A Projector in Your Pocket[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 10:58:20 GMT ]Optics researchers have created a tiny chip that creates a projected image without shining a bright light through a small image, and in fact uses no lenses at all. Instead, it uses the physics of light rays to "bend" a laser beam toward where it needs to go — thousands of times per second.

Amazon said to be adding a music-streaming service[ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 23:17:51 GMT ]Amazon Prime subscribers could get more than video streaming and free shipping -- word has it the e-commerce giant is looking to launch a music service much like Apple's iTunes Radio. [Read more]

Xbox Live struggles with access issues as Titanfall launches[ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 23:39:51 GMT ]Access to the online gaming service is listed as "limited" as much-anticipated first-person shooter debuts. [Read more]

Tim Berners-Lee: 25 years on, the Web still needs work (Q&A)[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 00:01:00 GMT ]The World Wide Web is a smashing technological success. But the man who invented it wants it to break down more cultural barriers, thwart government snooping, and let the Web run applications not just house documents. [Read more]

New San Francisco Apple Store gets final approval[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 00:17:30 GMT ]The San Francisco Board of Supervisors gave the go-ahead for Apple to build a new flagship store in the city's Union Square district. [Read more]

Does Google buying Green Throttle point to a set-top box?[ Wed, 12 Mar 2014 00:43:34 GMT ]With rumors hinting at an upcoming streaming device to incorporate more gaming, the Web giant buys the Atlas controller and Arena app-maker. [Read more]

Kevin Bacon on 'Six Degrees' game[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:28:52 EDT ]Almost two decades ago, a parlor game called "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" became an unlikely grass-roots phenomenon among movie buffs and foretold today's social web of online connections.

Bars banning Google Glass[ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 11:26:04 EDT ]Some in San Francisco are mounting a campaign against Google Glass. CNN's Dan Simon reports.

Snowden to SXSW: I'd do it again[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:39:54 EDT ]In a rare public talk via the Web, fugitive NSA leaker Edward Snowden urged a tech conference audience Monday to help "fix" the U.S. government's surveillance of its citizens.

Oculus Rift demo wows SXSW[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:28:43 EDT ]Night gathers, and now your watch begins.

The early Web: Slow, simple and sparse[ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 12:24:25 EDT ]It was 1993 when David Wood got his first look at the World Wide Web.

GPS May Be No Help in Finding Missing Malaysia Airlines Jet[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:03:35 GMT ]The pervasiveness of consumer technology that can track our every move has left some people scratching their heads as to why something so much more technically advanced, like the Malaysia Airlines jet carrying 239 people, could just disappear from the sky.

Hands Up! Fujitsu Tests Laptop That Scans Palm Veins for Security[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 20:50:11 GMT ]Fingerprint scanners may be all the rage in device security, but Japanese hardware company Fujitsu thinks it has an even better hand to play: yours.The company is working on palm readers for smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Malaysia Airlines Passengers' Phones Ringing? Maybe Not[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 23:09:09 GMT ]Reports are emerging that some cellphones of passengers on the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 are ringing — but no one picks up. However eerie this seems, it may have more to do with how mobile phones and networks operate than any deeper mystery.According to a China.org.

Emergency Beacons Not Fool-Proof When Jets Go Missing[ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 00:26:20 GMT ]As the hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet continues, experts say it's not surprising that no emergency signals have been picked up — especially if the plane is underwater.

Experts Predict the Internet's Next Decade[ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 04:49:16 GMT ]Leading experts on the Internet, technology and policy have chimed in on what we can expect in the next decade when it comes to connectivity and its effects on society.

Apple's 'spaceship' campus architect dishes details[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 23:57:02 GMT ]With a buried car park, 7,000 trees, and jogging and bicycle trails, the iPhone maker's new headquarters will take on Steve Jobs' vision to be more like a town park than an office park. [Read more]

How to manage Wi-Fi networks in OS X[ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 00:30:40 GMT ]If regularly connect to more than one Wi-Fi network on your Mac, you can do several things to optimize which networks will get automatically chosen. [Read more]

Mt. Gox wins temporary bankruptcy protection in US[ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 02:59:56 GMT ]Troubled Bitcoin exchange, which claims to have lost nearly $500 million in the crypto-currency to theft, wins brief reprieve from a pair of US lawsuits. [Read more]

Watch this awesome recursive 'Lego Movie,' 'Simpsons' mashup[ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 06:00:40 GMT ]Short video spoofs both "The Simpsons" and the "Lego Movie," with meta homages to the famous couch scene in the TV show's opening title sequence. [Read more]

Secret-sharing app Whisper said to capture $30M in funding[ Tue, 11 Mar 2014 06:55:50 GMT ]Anonymous confession app closes its third round of funding in less than a year, giving it a $200 million valuation, according to Recode. [Read more]

App turns tourist into time traveler[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 10:45:53 EST ]It's an app that uses your phone as a window to historical London. Adam Dunnakey takes a look.

Kevin Bacon on 'Six Degrees' game[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:28:52 EDT ]Almost two decades ago, a parlor game called "Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon" became an unlikely grass-roots phenomenon among movie buffs and foretold today's social web of online connections.

Snowden to SXSW: I'd do it again[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:29:25 EDT ]In a rare public talk via the Web, fugitive NSA leaker Edward Snowden urged a tech conference audience Monday to help "fix" the U.S. government's surveillance of its citizens.

Oculus Rift demo wows SXSW[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:28:43 EDT ]Night gathers, and now your watch begins.

Edward Snowden to SXSW: I'd do it again[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 15:29:54 EDT ]Even though he can't set foot in the United States for fear of arrest, fugitive National Security Agency leaker Edward Snowden was set to speak remotely Monday to an audience of thousands at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival.

Malaysian Jet's Disappearance Sets Off Echoes of 2007 Crash[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 03:07:50 GMT ]Saturday's disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines 777 jet echoes an incident in 2007, when a Boeing 737 with 102 people on board disappeared during a flight between two Indonesian cities.

Julian Assange Via Skype Takes Aim at U.S. at South by Southwest[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 22:41:56 GMT ]Assange, over a shoddy connection from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, warned the audience that everything they do on the web is watched.

Social Media Spread False Reports of Safe Landing[ Sun, 09 Mar 2014 03:20:17 GMT ]As authorities continued to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, social-media users around the globe spread false rumors including incorrect reports that the craft made a safe landing.

Vanished: Missing-Plane Mysteries Through History[ Sun, 09 Mar 2014 21:06:54 GMT ]A Malaysia Airlines jet, missing since Friday, is the latest in a long history of flight mysteries — some of which remain unsolved.

Put Down That Cellphone! Study Finds Parents Distracted by Devices[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 04:04:38 GMT ]The scenario plays out in restaurants everywhere: Mother or father looks at the smartphone or tablet, swiping, scrolling, reading, while son or daughter sits across the table.

Google's Pichai touts wearables SDK, 'APIs for hardware'[ Sun, 09 Mar 2014 20:09:16 GMT ]At South by Southwest, the head of the Android and Chrome teams touches on a wide variety of topics, including how Google plans to reach the next billion uses. [Read more]

Microsoft, HP blaze business tablet trail[ Sun, 09 Mar 2014 21:15:50 GMT ]With tablet market growth shrinking, Microsoft and HP are well positioned in the one market that still has decent growth potential: business. [Read more]

Mt. Gox CEO's blog hacked; alleged Bitcoin balances posted[ Sun, 09 Mar 2014 23:00:10 GMT ]Hackers claim the data allegedly collected from the exchange's servers shows a disparity in the number of bitcoins deposited versus how many it claims were stolen in a security lapse. [Read more]

Tencent to take stake in JD.com to challenge Alibaba[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 03:48:12 GMT ]The Chinese Internet giant is paying nearly $215 million for 15 percent of JD.com, China's second-largest e-commerce company behind Alibaba. [Read more]

Why Photosmith dumped iOS's built-in raw-photo support[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 08:26:15 GMT ]Developers of the Lightroom companion app for iPad opted to build in their own raw-photo support for get better control, avoid Apple bugs, and support more cameras. [Read more]

Twitter bans porn videos on Vine[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 19:26:01 EST ]Twitter has officially banned pornographic content on Vine, its year-old social-video service. The company announced the changes to its rules and terms of service on Thursday and will begin enforcing them immediately.

Future gladiators to wear digital armor[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:52:34 EST ]If Batman and Iron Man got together in the lab to patch together a new outfit, it might look like this.

App turns tourist into time traveler[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 10:45:53 EST ]It's an app that uses your phone as a window to historical London. Adam Dunnakey takes a look.

Go offline for 'Day of Unplugging'[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:16:11 EST ]Last week, 19-year-old California university student Adeline Munguia was reported missing after she stopped responding to Snapchats and texts from her roommate.

Oculus Rift demo wows 'Thrones' fans[ Mon, 10 Mar 2014 00:43:37 EDT ]Oculus Rift, a virtual-reality headset, takes SXSW fans on a trip to the world of "Game of Thrones."

Samsung Devices Get Exclusive 'Milk Music' Streaming App[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 23:15:37 GMT ]Users of Samsung's popular Galaxy series of phones got a nice perk Friday: a new streaming music app exclusive to phones of that make. Called "Milk Music," it's free, and better still, there are no ads.

New T-Mobile Plan Doubles Amount of Data for Same Price[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 00:32:53 GMT ]T-Mobile has been shaking up the wireless industry since it officially killed off two-year contracts with the debut of its Simple Choice Plan last March.

Malaysian Jet's Disappearance Sets Off Echoes of 2007 Crash[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 03:07:50 GMT ]Saturday's disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines 777 jet echoes an incident in 2007, when a Boeing 737 with 102 people on board disappeared during a flight between two Indonesian cities.

Julian Assange Via Skype Takes Aim at U.S. at South by Southwest[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 22:41:56 GMT ]Assange, over a shoddy connection from the Ecuadorian Embassy in London, warned the audience that everything they do on the web is watched.

Social Media Spread False Reports of Safe Landing[ Sun, 09 Mar 2014 03:20:17 GMT ]As authorities continued to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jet, social-media users around the globe spread false rumors including incorrect reports that the craft made a safe landing.

Will crowdfunded NY-to-SF dating airlift face rocky landing?[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 21:17:23 GMT ]We crowdsource entertainment, why not our hearts? The Dating Ring Crowdtilt Campaign wants to send East Coast single ladies searching for Mr. Right to the Bay Area. It's all about taking a chance. [Read more]

Man arrested for wiretapping after filming police officer[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 21:27:33 GMT ]A Massachusetts man is arrested and has his phone taken from him. He was recording a police officer talking loudly and swearing. The recording has now mysteriously disappeared. [Read more]

Useful! The drone with an 80,000-volt stun gun[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 21:40:24 GMT ]At SXSW, a Texas company offers the Chaotic Unmanned Personal Intercept Drone. Yes, it's CUPID -- not with a bow and arrow, but with a powerful stun gun. [Read more]

Facebook to revive f8 after three-year hiatus[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 22:30:00 GMT ]This time the one-day conference will be even more developer-focused, marking a departure from the last f8, held in 2011, where Facebook unveiled Timeline. [Read more]

At SXSW, thousands get a Kevin Bacon number of one[ Sun, 09 Mar 2014 01:08:31 GMT ]Twenty years later, the game that shows how many connections actors have to Kevin Bacon is still strong. Bacon showed up at SXSW, perplexed as to why. [Read more]

Twitter bans porn videos on Vine[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 19:26:01 EST ]Twitter has officially banned pornographic content on Vine, its year-old social-video service. The company announced the changes to its rules and terms of service on Thursday and will begin enforcing them immediately.

Future gladiators to wear digital armor[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:52:34 EST ]If Batman and Iron Man got together in the lab to patch together a new outfit, it might look like this.

App turns tourist into time traveler[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 10:45:53 EST ]It's an app that uses your phone as a window to historical London. Adam Dunnakey takes a look.

Go offline for 'Day of Unplugging'[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:16:11 EST ]Last week, 19-year-old California university student Adeline Munguia was reported missing after she stopped responding to Snapchats and texts from her roommate.

Assange to SXSW: We're all being watched[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 20:59:08 EST ]From his sanctuary in the Ecuadorian embassy in London, with roughly a dozen police officers outside, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange said Saturday that everyone in the world will be just as effectively monitored soon -- at least digitally.

Celebrate Being Offline on 'National Day of Unplugging'[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 21:42:54 GMT ]Could you use a break from the constant stream of tweets, texts, status updates and photos of someone's lunch?

Google 'Pretty Sure' Your Data Is Safe: Schmidt[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 23:00:08 GMT ]Google is "pretty sure" your data is safe, Executive Chairman Eric Schmidt said Friday at a panel discussion at South by Southwest Interactive.Google has upgraded the encryption process it uses to help keep people's information secure, he said.

Samsung Devices Get Exclusive 'Milk Music' Streaming App[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 23:15:37 GMT ]Users of Samsung's popular Galaxy series of phones got a nice perk Friday: a new streaming music app exclusive to phones of that make. Called "Milk Music," it's free, and better still, there are no ads.

New T-Mobile Plan Doubles Amount of Data for Same Price[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 00:32:53 GMT ]T-Mobile has been shaking up the wireless industry since it officially killed off two-year contracts with the debut of its Simple Choice Plan last March.

Malaysian Jet's Disappearance Sets Off Echoes of 2007 Crash[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 03:07:50 GMT ]Saturday's disappearance of a Malaysia Airlines 777 jet echoes an incident in 2007, when a Boeing 737 with 102 people on board disappeared during a flight between two Indonesian cities.

Google cited as bothered by Android-Windows hybrid[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 01:08:49 GMT ]Google is the one not keen on the idea of a dual-boot Windows-Android tablet-laptop, according to a fresh report from Asia and a CNET source. [Read more]

In Austin, it's South by South Westeros[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 01:51:36 GMT ]'Game of Thrones' fans at South by Southwest will be thrilled at the chance to get up close and personal with dozens of original artifacts from the hit HBO show. [Read more]

Schmidt: Not even US gov't can get at Google user data[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 01:53:29 GMT ]Google chairman Eric Schmidt tells the crowd at South by Southwest that the company's efforts to secure its user data from attacks are now complete. [Read more]

Lego Sandcrawler rolls through 'Star Wars' universe[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 05:00:00 GMT ]New $300 set brings the Jawas' Sandcrawler from 'Star Wars Episode IV' to life. [Read more]

Why Facebook went for basic over bold with News Feed (Q&A)[ Sat, 08 Mar 2014 12:00:00 GMT ]Product Manager Greg Marra explains why the company went back to basics for the version of News Feed that it will dole out to all members. [Read more]

Twitter bans porn videos on Vine[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 19:26:01 EST ]Twitter has officially banned pornographic content on Vine, its year-old social-video service. The company announced the changes to its rules and terms of service on Thursday and will begin enforcing them immediately.

Future gladiators to wear digital armor[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:52:34 EST ]If Batman and Iron Man got together in the lab to patch together a new outfit, it might look like this.

App turns tourist into time traveler[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 10:45:53 EST ]It's an app that uses your phone as a window to historical London. Adam Dunnakey takes a look.

Go offline for 'Day of Unplugging'[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:16:11 EST ]Last week, 19-year-old California university student Adeline Munguia was reported missing after she stopped responding to Snapchats and texts from her roommate.

Yik Yak chat app stirs up trouble in high schools[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 17:03:45 EST ]From Chicago, to Georgia, to southern California, a new social media application is causing problems on middle school and high school campuses across the United States.

Privacy Groups to Regulators: Block Facebook-WhatsApp Deal[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 23:19:32 GMT ]Privacy advocates have asked U.S. regulators to halt Facebook's $16 billion acquisition of messaging service WhatsApp until there is a clearer understanding of how the company intends to use the personal data of WhatsApp's 450 million users.

Not So Fast: Speed-Reading App Fails To Convince Experts[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 00:05:57 GMT ]A new Web app that promises vast increases in reading speed has been making the rounds in social media and tech news. But experts in the field say that the technique not only doesn't work, it didn't work when it was first proposed, either — more than 40 years ago.

FAA Fine Against Drone Photographer Dismissed[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 03:08:38 GMT ]When drone operators try to fly their birds not for fun but for profit, the Federal Aviation Authority has reminded them — sometimes with fines, sometimes with phone calls — that its guidelines do not permit the commercial operation of drones in the U.S.

Vine Bans 6-Second Porn: 'Not A Good Fit'[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 03:08:41 GMT ]Six-second video-sharing app Vine has announced that porn is no longer welcome on its servers, calling it "not a good fit for our community," and has posted guidelines on just what is and isn't "explicit sexual content.

Alleged Bitcoin Creator: 'I'm Not Involved in Bitcoin'[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 05:12:39 GMT ]Updated at 11:44 p.m. ET:Newsweek writer Leah McGrath Goodman told the AP that she stood by her story on Dorian S. Nakamoto, saying, "There was no confusion whatsoever about the context of our conversation — and his acknowledgment of his involvement in Bitcoin.

Microsoft plans to patch critical Windows, IE bugs next week[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 05:35:44 GMT ]One of the critical flaws addressed allows IE10 to be exploited by attack code placed on compromised Web sites. [Read more]

That's Chef Watson to you[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 06:44:36 GMT ]The next step for IBM's famous cognitive computer is being creative at a high level and partnering with people. So why not apply that computing power to cuisine? At SXSW, that's what IBM is doing. [Read more]

Crave giveaway: Philips Fidelio SoundRing wireless speaker[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 08:00:00 GMT ]Listen up. This week's freebie is a portable AirPlay speaker with a great sound and a striking design. [Read more]

Beats Music opens up, making its API public[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 11:00:24 GMT ]The music streamer gives outside developers access to programming that will let other applications integrate the new subscription-only music service, hoping to get Beats Music in your car, your home, everywhere. [Read more]

Why Sprint's push for a T-Mobile merger will likely be in vain[ Fri, 07 Mar 2014 12:00:00 GMT ]commentary It's clear the powers that be at Sprint aren't willing to give up on a bid for T-Mobile. But what are the company's chances of making headway in convincing regulators to accept a deal? [Read more]

Roku unveils $50 Streaming Stick[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 16:11:06 EST ]Sticks are the new boxes, at least when it comes to getting the Internet on your television.

Future gladiators to wear digital armor[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:52:34 EST ]If Batman and Iron Man got together in the lab to patch together a new outfit, it might look like this.

Go offline for 'Day of Unplugging'[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:16:11 EST ]Last week, 19-year-old California university student Adeline Munguia was reported missing after she stopped responding to Snapchats and texts from her roommate.

Getty makes millions of photos free[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 17:17:22 EST ]Online photo archive Getty Images is opening much of its trove of imagery to online publishers for free.

Go offline for 'National Day of Unplugging'[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 16:37:32 EST ]Last week, 19-year-old California university student Adeline Munguia was reported missing after she stopped responding to Snapchats and texts from her roommate.

Facebook and Instagram Crack Down On Illegal Online Gun Sales[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 22:07:33 GMT ]Facebook does not “Like” illegal gun sales.On Wednesday, the company announced that it was taking steps to curb illegal firearm sales, including taking down posts that offer to sell guns without background checks.

The Science of Selfies: How Pictures Help Us Claim Our Identity[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 23:55:43 GMT ]This week's selfie at the Oscars was a record-breaker for Twitter, but just a drop in the bucket for the traffic in smartphone self-portraits.A survey commissioned by PicMonkey suggests that nearly half of all U.S.

Robotic Drumming Prosthesis Gives Musician an Extra Hand[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 00:42:08 GMT ]It may seem sometimes that drummers have more arms than the rest of us, but of course they only have the two — and losing one of those can mean the end of their career. A new robotic prosthesis could potentially not only give a drummer his or her hand back, but add a spare.

Awaken to the Smell of Bacon With This Bizarre iPhone Accessory[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 01:28:26 GMT ]There's nothing quite like the smell of frying bacon in the morning, but how can you get that without actually getting up, heating a pan and throwing a couple pieces on? Why, get the Oscar Meyer Wake Up & Smell the Bacon app and accessory for your iPhone, of course. Yes, this is real.

Smart Vending Machine Scans Your Face to Serve Up Snacks[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 01:28:28 GMT ]Just how well does your office soda machine know you? A network of smart, connected vending machines will soon use facial recognition, NFC and a membership program to market and sell everything from food to electronics on their giant touch screens.

Samsung Galaxy TabPro 12.2 ships March 9 for $650[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 03:30:07 GMT ]The supersized business-focused tablet is said to be hitting stores next week and will come with a host of perks, like Hulu Plus, Dropbox storage, and a $25 Google Play store credit. [Read more]

Microsoft teases unveiling of DirectX 12 later this month[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 04:41:58 GMT ]Next iteration of Microsoft's game programming interfaces to be discussed at the Game Developer Conference on March 20, according to a Microsoft tease. [Read more]

Google exec: Android adoption most successful in history[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 05:25:24 GMT ]Fact check: Is Android the most successful, fastest adoption of an operating system in history, as a Google executive claims? [Read more]

CNET survey: Will you renew your Creative Cloud subscription?[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 12:00:00 GMT ]Jefferies and CNET are conducting a new survey about Adobe's subscription program and increasingly elderly CS6 software. Will you renew? What competing products have you bought? [Read more]

Supertiny sensors could improve antibiotics in the fight against superbugs[ Thu, 06 Mar 2014 12:00:00 GMT ]Researchers turn to physics, not just chemistry, to help break down bacterial cell membranes and fight infections. [Read more]

Space-junk collisions a real danger [ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 14:43:47 EST ]The space junk collisions in "Gravity" are known as Kessler Syndrome, and that is putting astronauts in danger.

Kickstarter hits $1 billion in pledges[ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 17:04:21 EST ]The crowdfunding model, in which entrepreneurs seek online pledges to finance their pet projects, appears to be alive and well.

Can Apple help make hearing aids cool?[ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 12:02:30 EST ]People wait in long lines and even camp out to get their hands on new Apple devices as soon as they're available. But they drag their feet, sometimes for years, when it comes to purchasing another piece of technology that could greatly improve their lives: hearing aids.

See this futuristic digital armor[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 09:34:54 EST ]If Batman and Iron Man got together in the lab to patch together a new outfit, it might look like this.

Batman meets Iron Man in this high-tech armor[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 09:33:18 EST ]If Batman and Iron Man got together in the lab to patch together a new outfit, it might look like this.

Walk Inside Seinfeld's Apartment, Courtesy of Oculus Rift[ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 21:54:53 GMT ]Watching re-runs of "Seinfeld" not enough for you? Then take a digital trip into Jerry’s apartment with Oculus Rift.The virtual reality headset isn’t on sale to the general public yet.

Japan Plans to Regulate Bitcoin: Report[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 00:13:58 GMT ]Japan is taking steps to regulate bitcoin, and will introduce legislation to that effect soon, according to a report in the Nikkei Asian Review. But it won't be a currency, like yen or dollars — instead, bitcoins will be treated as a tradeable commodity like gold or oil.

Facebook Could Be First Private Company to Hire Beat Cop[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 00:14:02 GMT ]Facebook is poised to become the first private company in the country to bankroll a full-time beat cop.

Porn Dethroned as Top Source of Mobile Malware[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 05:23:04 GMT ]Pornography is no longer the leading source of malware on mobile devices, according to a new study.The non-honor now goes to Web-based ads, according to Blue Coat, a security firm that analyzed data from more than 75 million global users for a report it released Wednesday.

Facebook Picks Up the Pace in Race to Beam Internet From Above[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 10:46:59 GMT ]Facebook's aerial strategy in the multibillion-dollar race for global data dominance has finally become clear, but drones aren’t the only ways to deliver the Internet to not-yet-connected regions of the world.

Yahoo to require Yahoo ID; no more Facebook or Google logins[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 04:17:27 GMT ]To access Yahoo Sports Tourney Pick'Em up, users now need a Yahoo ID -- soon the same will be mandatory for services like Flickr and Fantasy Sports. [Read more]

Adobe brings Revel photo-sync service to Android[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 07:34:28 GMT ]The app for syncing, sharing, and editing photos -- available on iOS since 2011 -- has now made its way to Google's mobile operating system. [Read more]

History of the Audi TT: the past, the present and the future[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 09:15:21 GMT ]Audi launched the first generation TT in the late '90s, now we're on the third generation. Take a look not only at the new one, but where it's come from. [Read more]

Mazda Hazumi concept is a promising look at a next-gen subcompact[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 11:03:43 GMT ]Mazda's latest concept car gives us a very clear look at what to expect when the next Mazda2 arrives. [Read more]

MirrorLink-equipped Peugeot competes with Apple CarPlay[ Wed, 05 Mar 2014 11:58:38 GMT ]Smartphone mirroring technology MirrorLink gets demonstrated by French automaker Peugeot at the 2014 Geneva auto show. [Read more]

#Busted: Ellen's Oscars-phone switch[ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 08:19:42 EST ]Ellen DeGeneres, #Busted.

Space-junk collisions a real danger [ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 14:43:47 EST ]The space junk collisions in "Gravity" are known as Kessler Syndrome, and that is putting astronauts in danger.

Kickstarter hits $1 billion in pledges[ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 17:04:21 EST ]The crowdfunding model, in which entrepreneurs seek online pledges to finance their pet projects, appears to be alive and well.

Can Apple help make hearing aids cool?[ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 12:02:30 EST ]People wait in long lines and even camp out to get their hands on new Apple devices as soon as they're available. But they drag their feet, sometimes for years, when it comes to purchasing another piece of technology that could greatly improve their lives: hearing aids.

Can Apple help make hearing aids cool?[ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 12:02:30 EST ]People wait in long lines and even camp out to get their hands on new Apple devices as soon as they're available. But they drag their feet, sometimes for years, when it comes to purchasing another piece of technology that could greatly improve their lives: hearing aids.

Meetup.com Still Offline, Refuses to Pay $300 Ransom to Hackers[ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 19:38:13 GMT ]Social networking website Meetup.com is fighting a sustained battle against cyber attackers who are demanding only $300 to call off a campaign that has kept the site offline for much of the past four days.

New Samsung Chromebooks Bring Spec Bump, Faux Leather Finish[ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 20:39:45 GMT ]Samsung announced the newest entries to its surprisingly popular Chromebook series Monday with the aptly named Chromebook 2 laptops.

Android Leapfrogs iPad, Taking 62 Percent of Tablet Sales[ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 21:41:32 GMT ]Tablet sales jumped in 2013, but the majority of that growth was sucked up by Android devices, which made up about 62 percent of the number sold. iPads placed a distant second — but Apple devices are still more numerous than any single Android brand.

Feds Say Sprint Overbilled for Wiretaps[ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 23:45:19 GMT ]Federal officials have filed a lawsuit alleging that Sprint Communications Inc. overbilled government agencies $21 million for wiretap services.The lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in San Francisco alleges that the Sprint Corp.

Drones on Your Doorstep? Not if Hackers Have Their Way[ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 02:35:23 GMT ]What’s that buzzing in the backyard?It’s probably not a drone — yet. But with major U.S. companies like FedEx and Amazon talking about using the whirring aircraft in the not-so-distant future, it seems more likely than ever that drones may soon be part of our domestic skyscape.

Facebook reportedly in talks for drone maker Titan Aerospace[ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 04:25:25 GMT ]Social-networking giant looking at the company's solar-powered high-altitude drones to deliver Internet access, according to TechCrunch. [Read more]

Twitter error blamed for mass user password reset[ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 06:45:50 GMT ]Social network says e-mail sent to many users informing them that their passwords had been reset due to a security issue at another site was sent in error. [Read more]

2014's battle for dashboard supremacy: Apple's CarPlay vs. Google's OAA vs. MirrorLink[ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 08:00:00 GMT ]Cars have been getting smarter and smartphone connectivity is better than ever, but 2014 should be a quantum leap forward for smartphone connectivity. Join us as we look at the main contenders. [Read more]

Apple shifts gears with CarPlay, its response to Google Now[ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 12:00:00 GMT ]With Apple's new integration into automobiles, the company wades into the complex waters of predictive services. [Read more]

Disney deal blazes trail for Dish without the dish[ Tue, 04 Mar 2014 12:00:37 GMT ]analysis Dish Network's deal with Disney sacrifices AutoHop, but it does more than just keep ESPN and gain access to more mobile-video apps: It slings Dish into lead for full-on Web TV. [Read more]

Space junk collisions a real danger [ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 10:43:53 EST ]The space junk collisions in "Gravity" are known as Kessler Syndrome, and that is putting astronauts in danger.

NASA discovers 715 new planets[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 13:50:03 EST ]Our galactic neighborhood just got a lot bigger. NASA on Wednesday announced the discovery of 715 new planets, by far the biggest batch of planets ever unveiled at once.

Nasty LinkedIn rejection goes viral[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 22:05:11 EST ]When you're a city's "Communicator of the Year" and have hailed yourself as a "passionate advocate" for job-seekers, you probably ought not blast one of those job-seekers in a snide, dismissive e-mail.

Big bucks for tech interns[ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 10:45:38 EST ]Glassdoor.com has listed the highest paid internships with tech companies paying interns around $7,000 per month!

#Busted: Ellen's Oscars-phone switch[ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 17:48:18 EST ]Ellen DeGeneres, #Busted.

Shop Here Often? Gadget Will Tell Business Owners[ Fri, 28 Feb 2014 22:22:57 GMT ]Consumers are used to having their movements tracked online. But in a brick-and-mortar store?That is the idea behind Density, a new app-and-gadget combo available for pre-order that gives businesses a real-time measure of their foot traffic.Let’s say you own a café.

Sands Casino Website Hacking: Some Customers' Data Was Stolen[ Fri, 28 Feb 2014 23:09:28 GMT ]LAS VEGAS — Computer hackers stole some Las Vegas Sands customers' Social Security and driver's license numbers during a data breach earlier this month, the casino company said Friday.Las Vegas Sands Corp. said in a statement that the information about some patrons at its Bethlehem, Pa.

Voice-Activated Search Now Built Into Google Chrome[ Fri, 28 Feb 2014 23:25:00 GMT ]Google's much-anticipated voice-activated search is now built right into the Chrome browser. Now all users need to do to launch a search is get the browser's attention by saying "OK Google" followed by whatever they're looking for.

Internet Anonymizer Tor Working On Chat App[ Sat, 01 Mar 2014 01:13:24 GMT ]The extent of government collection of private data by the NSA and the GCHQ is enough to make anyone concerned about what they put out there. Anonymizing service Tor wants to help, and is working on a new communication tool to keep your online conversations private.

Hacker Explains How to Infiltrate a City's Power Grid[ Sat, 01 Mar 2014 01:44:31 GMT ]Computer phishing attacks, canned air, fence-hopping and a fake corporate badge are about all it takes, says a paid consultant.

Ellen does Samsung Oscars selfie, tweets from iPhone backstage[ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 03:47:09 GMT ]It seems that brand loyalty only goes so far. Perhaps 40 feet. [Read more]

Oscar overload brings down ABC live stream[ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 04:29:39 GMT ]Brief outage to live stream over the Internet as a result of heavy demand leads to temporary service outage. [Read more]

DeGeneres' Oscar selfie tweet captures retweet crown[ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 05:48:20 GMT ]Oscars host's tweet quickly blows past President Obama's re-election tweet from 2012. [Read more]

Google Glass updates slow down ahead of KitKat upgrade[ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 07:41:00 GMT ]The electronic eyewear will be "smoother" and "better" after moving to the latest Android operating system version, Google says. [Read more]

Apple announces CarPlay to bring the iPhone experience to your next car's dashboard[ Mon, 03 Mar 2014 08:09:14 GMT ]What once was iOS in the Car is now CarPlay. It's being exhibited at the Geneva International Auto Show where Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz and Volvo will all have models on display. [Read more]

Nasty LinkedIn rejection goes viral[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 22:05:11 EST ]When you're a city's "Communicator of the Year" and have hailed yourself as a "passionate advocate" for job-seekers, you probably ought not blast one of those job-seekers in a snide, dismissive e-mail.

100 million Dogecoins get you this[ Wed, 26 Feb 2014 11:22:47 EST ]The Dogecoin started off as a penniless Internet joke. But Matt Thompson plans on selling his vacation home for this meme-inspired currency.

3-D heart replica saves baby[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 11:45:03 EST ]A 3D plastic replica of a baby's heart helps doctor perform life-saving surgery. WDRB reports.

NASA discovers 715 new planets[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 13:50:03 EST ]Our galactic neighborhood just got a lot bigger. NASA on Wednesday announced the discovery of 715 new planets, by far the biggest batch of planets ever unveiled at once.

Nasty LinkedIn rejection goes viral[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 22:05:11 EST ]When you're a city's "Communicator of the Year" and have hailed yourself as a "passionate advocate" for job-seekers, you probably ought not blast one of those job-seekers in a snide, dismissive e-mail.

Shop Here Often? Gadget Will Tell Business Owners[ Fri, 28 Feb 2014 22:22:57 GMT ]Consumers are used to having their movements tracked online. But in a brick-and-mortar store?That is the idea behind Density, a new app-and-gadget combo available for pre-order that gives businesses a real-time measure of their foot traffic.Let’s say you own a café.

Sands Casino Website Hacking: Some Customers' Data Was Stolen[ Fri, 28 Feb 2014 23:09:28 GMT ]LAS VEGAS — Computer hackers stole some Las Vegas Sands customers' Social Security and driver's license numbers during a data breach earlier this month, the casino company said Friday.Las Vegas Sands Corp. said in a statement that the information about some patrons at its Bethlehem, Pa.

Voice-Activated Search Now Built Into Google Chrome[ Fri, 28 Feb 2014 23:25:00 GMT ]Google's much-anticipated voice-activated search is now built right into the Chrome browser. Now all users need to do to launch a search is get the browser's attention by saying "OK Google" followed by whatever they're looking for.

Internet Anonymizer Tor Working On Chat App[ Sat, 01 Mar 2014 01:13:24 GMT ]The extent of government collection of private data by the NSA and the GCHQ is enough to make anyone concerned about what they put out there. Anonymizing service Tor wants to help, and is working on a new communication tool to keep your online conversations private.

Hacker Explains How to Infiltrate a City's Power Grid[ Sat, 01 Mar 2014 01:44:31 GMT ]Computer phishing attacks, canned air, fence-hopping and a fake corporate badge are about all it takes, says a paid consultant.

Apple's 'iOS in the Car' technology to roll out next week, says report[ Sat, 01 Mar 2014 20:46:11 GMT ]Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo are aboard for the launch of the operating system, which lets drivers access various iPhone functions through a car's built-in screen, says a report. [Read more]

Comcast to buy video-ad platform FreeWheel for about $320M[ Sat, 01 Mar 2014 22:16:05 GMT ]FreeWheel's service is designed to help TV networks, film studios, and other content companies sell and manage in-video ads across numerous Web sites and devices. [Read more]

The world's largest aircraft can fly for three weeks (it's not cute)[ Sun, 02 Mar 2014 00:37:03 GMT ]The HAV 304 Airlander is green, efficient, a hybrid, and, well, quite bizarre. [Read more]

Microsoft's latest stab at Apple: Macs are no good for weddings[ Sun, 02 Mar 2014 00:50:03 GMT ]If you're planning a wedding, says Microsoft in a new ad, the lack of a touch screen heralds impending disaster. [Read more]

The P-8A Poseidon adventure begins for the Navy[ Sun, 02 Mar 2014 12:00:00 GMT ]There's a new sub-hunter in town: the US Navy's P-8A Poseidon, just now taking to the air to replace the venerable P-3C Orion. And soon it'll have a drone deputy. [Read more]

Nasty LinkedIn rejection goes viral[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 22:05:11 EST ]When you're a city's "Communicator of the Year" and have hailed yourself as a "passionate advocate" for job-seekers, you probably ought not blast one of those job-seekers in a snide, dismissive e-mail.

100 million Dogecoins get you this[ Wed, 26 Feb 2014 11:22:47 EST ]The Dogecoin started off as a penniless Internet joke. But Matt Thompson plans on selling his vacation home for this meme-inspired currency.

3-D heart replica saves baby[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 11:45:03 EST ]A 3D plastic replica of a baby's heart helps doctor perform life-saving surgery. WDRB reports.

NASA discovers 715 new planets[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 13:50:03 EST ]Our galactic neighborhood just got a lot bigger. NASA on Wednesday announced the discovery of 715 new planets, by far the biggest batch of planets ever unveiled at once.

Nasty LinkedIn rejection goes viral[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 22:05:11 EST ]When you're a city's "Communicator of the Year" and have hailed yourself as a "passionate advocate" for job-seekers, you probably ought not blast one of those job-seekers in a snide, dismissive e-mail.

Shop Here Often? Gadget Will Tell Business Owners[ Fri, 28 Feb 2014 22:22:57 GMT ]Consumers are used to having their movements tracked online. But in a brick-and-mortar store?That is the idea behind Density, a new app-and-gadget combo available for pre-order that gives businesses a real-time measure of their foot traffic.Let’s say you own a café.

Sands Casino Website Hacking: Some Customers' Data Was Stolen[ Fri, 28 Feb 2014 23:09:28 GMT ]LAS VEGAS — Computer hackers stole some Las Vegas Sands customers' Social Security and driver's license numbers during a data breach earlier this month, the casino company said Friday.Las Vegas Sands Corp. said in a statement that the information about some patrons at its Bethlehem, Pa.

Voice-Activated Search Now Built Into Google Chrome[ Fri, 28 Feb 2014 23:25:00 GMT ]Google's much-anticipated voice-activated search is now built right into the Chrome browser. Now all users need to do to launch a search is get the browser's attention by saying "OK Google" followed by whatever they're looking for.

Internet Anonymizer Tor Working On Chat App[ Sat, 01 Mar 2014 01:13:24 GMT ]The extent of government collection of private data by the NSA and the GCHQ is enough to make anyone concerned about what they put out there. Anonymizing service Tor wants to help, and is working on a new communication tool to keep your online conversations private.

Hacker Explains How to Infiltrate a City's Power Grid[ Sat, 01 Mar 2014 01:44:31 GMT ]Computer phishing attacks, canned air, fence-hopping and a fake corporate badge are about all it takes, says a paid consultant.

Imagination, Apple graphics tech supplier, talks future[ Sat, 01 Mar 2014 01:26:47 GMT ]Imagination, purveyor of graphics chip tech to Apple, talks about the future of its GPUs with CNET. [Read more]

Colbert turns his funny gun on Snowden in RSA keynote[ Sat, 01 Mar 2014 02:18:57 GMT ]No joke: Stephen Colbert's not a fan of Edward Snowden's whistleblowing, the political satirist tells a packed house at the closing RSA Conference keynote speech. [Read more]

What if Red Bull's season didn't improve?[ Sat, 01 Mar 2014 10:00:00 GMT ]Predicting the future is a difficult game, but please allow me on this occasion not to predict what I think will happen, but to simply imagine what could happen. [Read more]

'Talking Angela' programmer talks hoaxes, AI mastery (Q&A)[ Sat, 01 Mar 2014 12:00:00 GMT ]Bruce Wilcox is a top chatbot programmer, and his Talking Angela app has been downloaded 57 million times, yet he's had to fight rumors that it's a front for pedophiles. He talked to CNET about fooling humans with AI. [Read more]

Leading to the gigabit promised land?[ Sat, 01 Mar 2014 12:00:00 GMT ]commentary If the United States wants to be a leader in the 21st century information economy, we need to stop debating the past and start figuring out the future. [Read more]

Nasty LinkedIn rejection goes viral[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 22:05:11 EST ]When you're a city's "Communicator of the Year" and have hailed yourself as a "passionate advocate" for job-seekers, you probably ought not blast one of those job-seekers in a snide, dismissive e-mail.

100 million Dogecoins get you this[ Wed, 26 Feb 2014 11:22:47 EST ]The Dogecoin started off as a penniless Internet joke. But Matt Thompson plans on selling his vacation home for this meme-inspired currency.

3-D heart replica saves baby[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 11:45:03 EST ]A 3D plastic replica of a baby's heart helps doctor perform life-saving surgery. WDRB reports.

NASA discovers 715 new planets[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 13:50:03 EST ]Our galactic neighborhood just got a lot bigger. NASA on Wednesday announced the discovery of 715 new planets, by far the biggest batch of planets ever unveiled at once.

Nasty LinkedIn rejection goes viral[ Thu, 27 Feb 2014 22:05:11 EST ]When you're a city's "Communicator of the Year" and have hailed yourself as a "passionate advocate" for job-seekers, you probably ought not blast one of those job-seekers in a snide, dismissive e-mail.