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.