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.