Submission + - Linux Journal goes all digital
freddieb writes: Just received word that LJ is going all digital as of September.
Submission + - HTC Unlocks Its Own Phones (itworld.com)
itwbennett writes: "Having just announced that it would continue to run Android on its best phones, HTC is now 'needling' Google by making good on 'promises it made earlier in the year to deliver bootloader unlock tools for many of its most popular Android phones,' writes blogger Kevin Fogarty. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, HTC CEO Peter Chou said that HTC views unlocked OSes as a way to encourage both ISVs and owners to get more involved developing apps and mods for the phones. Google, which has been trying to lock Google down more, probably doesn't see it that way."
Submission + - One API to Link Them All (uberblic.com) 1
An anonymous reader writes: The explosion of APIs in recent years means that developers have all sorts of data at their disposal for use in their applications. Getting data from multiple APIs work to work together can be tricky, and that’s where Uberblic comes in.
The Berlin-based team at Uberblic Labs has created a product that links data across APIs so that developers can easily create powerful mashups.
The Berlin-based team at Uberblic Labs has created a product that links data across APIs so that developers can easily create powerful mashups.
Submission + - Microsoft disables 'supercookies' used on MSN.com (computerworld.com)
suraj.sun writes: Microsoft said it has disabled an online tracking technology that, according to a Stanford Uni researcher, allowed the company to sneakily track users on MSN.com — even after they deleted their browser cookies and other identifiers.
In an emailed comment Thursday, Mike Hintze, Microsoft's associate general counsel, said the company took "immediate action" when it learned about the presence of so-called "supercookies" on its networks from Stanford Uni researcher Jonathan Mayer. Mayer's research prompted Microsoft to move faster to disable the code, Hintze said.
Mayer's report follows one from researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, on the practice by many websites of using tracking mechanisms that can circumvent the privacy settings on a user's browser. The Berkeley researchers also found that many sites, including Hulu, employed supercookie techniques to track users for advertising purposes.
ComputerWorld: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9219312/Microsoft_disables_supercookies_used_on_MSN.com_visitors
In an emailed comment Thursday, Mike Hintze, Microsoft's associate general counsel, said the company took "immediate action" when it learned about the presence of so-called "supercookies" on its networks from Stanford Uni researcher Jonathan Mayer. Mayer's research prompted Microsoft to move faster to disable the code, Hintze said.
Mayer's report follows one from researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, on the practice by many websites of using tracking mechanisms that can circumvent the privacy settings on a user's browser. The Berkeley researchers also found that many sites, including Hulu, employed supercookie techniques to track users for advertising purposes.
ComputerWorld: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9219312/Microsoft_disables_supercookies_used_on_MSN.com_visitors
Submission + - New Xbox 360 Dashboard called Twist Control (winbeta.org)
BogenDorpher writes: "During a demonstration at Gamescom this week, Microsoft outlined the company's vision towards bringing together voice control and content in the upcoming Xbox 360 software update, which is due around Christmas time. The name for the new dashboard? Twist Control!"
Submission + - Microsoft Disables 'Supercookies' On MSN.com (computerworld.com)
CWmike writes: "Microsoft says it has disabled an online tracking technology that is said to allow the company to sneakily track users on MSN.com — even after they deleted their browser cookies and other identifiers. Mike Hintze, Microsoft's associate general counsel, said the company took 'immediate action" when it learned about the presence of so-called 'supercookies' on its networks from Stanford University researcher Jonathan Mayer. After Mayer identified Microsoft as one of several companies using supercookies for targeted advertising, the company investigated. 'We determined that the cookie behavior he observed was occurring under certain circumstances as a result of older code that was used only on our own sites, and was already scheduled to be discontinued,' Hintze said. Mayer's research prompted Microsoft to move faster to disable the code, Hintze said. 'At no time, did this functionality cause Microsoft cookie identifiers or data associated with those identifiers to be shared outside of Microsoft.' Mayer's report follows one from researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, on the practice by many websites of using tracking mechanisms that can circumvent the privacy settings on a user's browser. The Berkeley researchers also found that many sites, including Hulu, employed supercookie techniques to track users for advertising purposes. A Hulu spokeswoman refused to comment on the UC Berkeley report. She pointed instead to a blog post from Hulu earlier this month which said the site acted "immediately" to address the issues identified by the researchers."
Submission + - Germany Declares Facebook Like Button Illegal 2
An anonymous reader writes: Not only has Germany declared Facebook's facial recognition technology and wild Facebook parties illegal, but the country today found Facebook's Like button in violation of its strict privacy laws. Commissioner Thilo Weichert, who works for the Independent Centre for Privacy Protection (ULD) in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, said the social network’s plugin, which allows Internet users to express their appreciation of something online, illegally puts together a profile of their Web habits.
Submission + - Do nuclear weapons really deter? (wordpress.com)
Martin Hellman writes: "In my Stanford seminar, “Nuclear Weapons, Risk and Hope,” I argue that much of the risk stems from a lack of critical thinking – accepting conventional wisdom on key points of national security, even when it is wrong. Much of the hope therefore lies in applying critical thinking to root out fallacious assumptions that form the foundation for our world view. One key assumption that deserves greater attention: Do nuclear weapons act as a deterrent? And, if so, what do they deter?"
Submission + - The Avon Ladies of Solar Power (miller-mccune.com)
__aaqpaq9254 writes: This is a really cool article about entrepreneurial efforts to increase solar power usage in the developing world. I particularly love the approach of Solar Sister, which employs and Avon-lady model. Great stuff about good work.
Submission + - More Photoshopped Evidence In Apple vs. Samsung (itworld.com)
jfruhlinger writes: "It seems that Apple can't stop Photoshopping evidence in its EU lawsuit against Samsung. We already saw that the company used trickery in its side-by-side comparison of the iPad and Galaxy Tab; now it appears that it's fudging the comparison between the iPhone and Galaxy S as well."
Submission + - Google Adds Weather to Maps (tekgoblin.com)
tekgoblin writes: "Since the release of Google+, Google has been slowly updating all of it’s services to conform with it’s new minimalist look. Black navigation bar on top, red text on the side, and buttons that remind me of OS X. Today they updated Google Maps to it’s new look, and added several interesting features as well.
The most significant feature that has been added is a new Weather layer, that when enabled shows current conditions in specific cities and towns. While not enabled globally, nearly the entire US is covered."
The most significant feature that has been added is a new Weather layer, that when enabled shows current conditions in specific cities and towns. While not enabled globally, nearly the entire US is covered."
Comment Re:For those that prefer metric (Score 1) 200
There's always going to be a need for other vehicles outside the norm - or if not a need then for fun. But its a not exactly optimal when the trucks like the Ford F-series is the norm. Those kind of heavy duty cars need a huge tax upon buying, to keep their numbers down in the used market.
Comment Re:Where do these numbers come from? (Score 3, Interesting) 200
Exactly my point. Isn't "54.5 miles per gallon by 2025" a rather pathetic goal?
Comment Re:Where do these numbers come from? (Score 2) 200
The Prius and others are interesting experiments but it will only be a small percentage of cars sold for many years to come. We also have to look at what we can do with the rest of the fleet. 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025 is an an extremely modest, if not pathetic, goal. My eight year old Citroën C5, considered a big car by European standards, is around 40 mpg. If I were to update to say a brand new Volvo V70 - also a big, comfortable and safe car - I'd do over 52 mpg (and less than 119 g/km CO2 emissions). Even a couple of years old V70 would do over 48 mpg! And we're still talking 'big' cars while the 54.4 miles per gallon by 2025 is for the average car fleet sold. Two or three years and modern cars will bloody BE at 54.4 mpg - and you will still wait for another ten years?! You might as well shut your motor industry down right now.
No, the faster American motor industry gets up to modern standards the faster it gets more competitive! The Ford F-series, a dinosaur relic to be honest, is still the best selling car in the world - THAT IS F**NG AMAZING - but its more or less unsellable anywhere but in the U.S. for being so old-fashioned and having a mileage that wasn't ok even in the 70's. What will you do when if finally stops selling? The U.S. have a grand automotive heritage to defend and you are losing it. This goal is too little and too late. Where did the American confidence go? Why don't you set a goal to ASTONISH the world rather than one that makes you look pathetic.
It makes me sad, I know you can do so much better than this. Fire your lawyers and get your engineers to work, you can do it if you want to!
Comment Re:want to see something really scary? (Score 2) 103
"having a Facebook profile is like walking on a public street" [shouting your name out loud and pushing your ID up everyones face]
