Comment: Simcity all over again (Score 4, Interesting) 400
So we can assume that Xbox One games will be always-online and have server side processing ala Simcity 5... because that worked out so well for EA.
+ - Statistical analysis finds Google shuts down 35% of its services-> 1
Submitted
by
zacharye
zacharye writes "A statistical analysis of Google’s track record has found that more than one out of every three services Google launches ends up being shut down. A recent extensive analysis of Google’s launches over the years was published in an effort to find closure patterns and maybe even predict which current and new services might be shuttered in the future. In doing so, the site found that a sizable chunk of Google’s product portfolio — 35% — has been shut down over the years..."
Link to Original Source
Link to Original Source
+ - Is Apple Doubling Down on Secrecy - Again?->
Submitted
by
DavidGilbert99
DavidGilbert99 writes "Tim Cook quite clearly during Apple's latest earnings call this week that it would not launch new hardware, software or services until "the fall" meaning there would be at least a ten month gap between the launch of the iPad mini and whatever is next from Apple. Is this just a change of tactic from the Cupertino company, or is Tim Cook trying to re-instill a sense of mystery and secrecy around the company, having lost that over the last 18 months?"
Link to Original Source
Link to Original Source
+ - LHCb experiment observes new matter-antimatter difference->
Submitted
by
Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes "The wast amount of data provided by the LHC has given new and significant information regarding the universe's preference for matter over anti-matter. More in the CERN press release http://press.web.cern.ch/press-releases/2013/04/lhcb-experiment-observes-new-matter-antimatter-difference"
Link to Original Source
Link to Original Source
Comment: Re:Pause while in call (Score 1) 176
I thought you could already do that without requiring READ_PHONE_STATE? When your app loses focus (for whatever reason, a call, user switches to another app, etc..) then onPause() gets called. You should be able to handle losing focus there... without needing any special permissions.
Though I only write android apps as a hobby, so maybe I'm wrong.
+ - AMD Say - No DirectX 12, Ever! ->
Submitted
by
mikejuk
mikejuk writes "This is a strange story that is difficult to make sense of. An AMD Vice President of Global Channel Sales, Roy Taylor, has said that there will be no DirectX12 at any time in the future. In discussing, in an interview with German magazine, Heise.de, the new trend for graphics card manufacturers to release top quality games bundles registered to the serial number of the card, Taylor explains that his is the way to go now that the DirectX update cycle is no longer driving the market.
"there will be no DirectX 12. That's it. "
Last January there was another hint that things weren't fine with DirectX when Microsoft sent an email to its MVPs that said http://games.slashdot.org/story/13/02/01/0245208/microsoft-phases-out-xna-and-directx:
"DirectX is no longer evolving as a technology."
Which was quickly corrected but without mentioning any prospect of DirectX 12.
So is it just another error or rumor? Can you dismiss something that AMD are basing their future marketing strategy on?"
Link to Original Source
"there will be no DirectX 12. That's it. "
Last January there was another hint that things weren't fine with DirectX when Microsoft sent an email to its MVPs that said http://games.slashdot.org/story/13/02/01/0245208/microsoft-phases-out-xna-and-directx:
"DirectX is no longer evolving as a technology."
Which was quickly corrected but without mentioning any prospect of DirectX 12.
So is it just another error or rumor? Can you dismiss something that AMD are basing their future marketing strategy on?"
Link to Original Source
+ - Google launches "Inactive Account Manager" to deal with Data after the Death -> 1
Submitted
by
rtoz
rtoz writes "Google has announced a new Tool “Inactive Account Manager” which gives Google users the option to have information from inactive accounts wiped from the system or to be shared with friends or family members.
Inactive Account Manager will allow the users to have their data deleted three, six, nine or 12 months after it becomes inactive. Users can also select “trusted contacts” to receive information from various Google services such as Blogger, Gmail, Picasa Web Albums, Google Voice and YouTube.
Google users can access “Inactive Account Manager” from here."
Link to Original Source
Inactive Account Manager will allow the users to have their data deleted three, six, nine or 12 months after it becomes inactive. Users can also select “trusted contacts” to receive information from various Google services such as Blogger, Gmail, Picasa Web Albums, Google Voice and YouTube.
Google users can access “Inactive Account Manager” from here."
Link to Original Source
+ - Office delay gives Google a real chance, and not just Google Apps.-> 1
Submitted
by
rtfa-troll
rtfa-troll writes "Microsoft Office slideware for iOS and Android has been resisting many migrations to Google Apps. Although a number of the largest companies, from KLM to Disney have already moved to Google Apps, most large companies are still using MS office heavily and the majority of current Google users are smaller businesses. Now Microsoft has been forced to admit that its office suite for Android will be delayed by at least a year and Zdnet tells us that Google will be the big winner from that, however they say that QuickOffice rather than Google apps will be the main winner. Other Android app suites will benefit too, though currently The Android version of LibreOffice is only available as a dev build for sideloading and is having some difficulties packaging for Google play so may not benefit from this delay unless some more volunteers step up to help. Microsoft relies heavily on office for revenue so this may represent a real long term threat to the company."
Link to Original Source
Link to Original Source
+ - WebKit Developers Discuss Removal of Google Specific Code->
Submitted
by
hypnosec
hypnosec writes "WebKit developers have already started discussing removal of Chrome and Chromium specific code from the browser engine in a bid to make the code easier to maintain. Just a couple of days back Google announced that it will be going ahead with a WebKit fork to develop a new browser engine – Blink. According to Google, having multiple renderer engines just like multiple browsers will allow for innovation as well as contribute towards a healthy open web ecosystem. The discussion was started by Geoffery Garen, Apple WebKit developer. He said that the recent development is an "opportunity to streamline" the code of WebKit which would eventually make the “development easier and more coherent for everyone". Garen expects that developers who will be working on WebKit in future should help out to clean up the code but, Adam Barth and Eric Seidel – two Google WebKit developers have already offered their help."
Link to Original Source
Link to Original Source
+ - Microsoft's Creative Director "Doesn't Get" Always On DRM
Submitted
by
SoVi3t
SoVi3t writes "http://www.cnet.com.au/xboxs-adam-orth-doesnt-get-always-on-concerns-339343874.htm
"Don't want a gaming console that requires a persistent internet connection? "Deal with it," says Microsoft Studio's creative director. In what he later termed a "fun lunch break", Orth took to Twitter to express his shock at people who take umbrage with the idea of an always-on console.
When quizzed by other Twitter users about people with no internet connection, he suggested that they should get one, as it is "awesome". He then likened people who worry about intermittent internet connectivity being an issue as the same as someone not buying a vacuum cleaner because the electricity sometimes goes out.
While Orth later apologised, saying it had being a bit of banter with friends, it did raise awareness that there are more than a few people who are very unhappy with the possibility of an always-on future version of the Xbox. Orth has also now switched his Twitter account settings to private.""
"Don't want a gaming console that requires a persistent internet connection? "Deal with it," says Microsoft Studio's creative director. In what he later termed a "fun lunch break", Orth took to Twitter to express his shock at people who take umbrage with the idea of an always-on console.
When quizzed by other Twitter users about people with no internet connection, he suggested that they should get one, as it is "awesome". He then likened people who worry about intermittent internet connectivity being an issue as the same as someone not buying a vacuum cleaner because the electricity sometimes goes out.
While Orth later apologised, saying it had being a bit of banter with friends, it did raise awareness that there are more than a few people who are very unhappy with the possibility of an always-on future version of the Xbox. Orth has also now switched his Twitter account settings to private.""
Comment: Re:So what did they take away now? (Score 4, Informative) 181
Looked at the location bar... shed a tear for my "http://"
You can disable that by going to about:config and setting browser.urlbar.trimURLs to false.
It's old, but still a pain. Remember when Stop had a separate button?
There's always been a separate stop button, you just have to customize the toolbar so that the stop button is ordered before the reload button, otherwise it "combines" them into a single reload/stop button. http://forums.mozillazine.org/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=2142587
Basically you right click the toolbar, select customize, then drag the stop button to the left of the reload button, and viola... separate buttons (yes it's retarded).
+ - Obama signs 'Monsanto Protection Act' Into Law->
Submitted
by
Anonymous Coward
An anonymous reader writes "Despite over 250,000 people's names on a petition asking for a veto of the the spending bill, Obama on Thursday signed into law HR 933 which includes a rider referred to as the "Monsanto Protection Act." This provision "effectively bars federal courts from being able to halt the sale or planting of GMO or GE crops and seeds, no matter what health consequences from the consumption of these products may come to light in the future... With HR 933 now a law, however, the court system no longer has the right to step in and protect the consumer.""
Link to Original Source
Link to Original Source
+ - Has Kickstarter Peaked?->
Submitted
by
Nerval's Lobster
Nerval's Lobster writes "Kickstarter has taken off in the past year, raising big money for a wide variety of projects. Look at some of their stats: in June 2012, only seven projects raised more than a million dollars apiece; in the past nine months, another 16 projects have passed that threshold. Since the site began operations in 2009, several of the 38,000 funded projects have broken out as superstars, including the Pebble Watch and a new gaming console. With all this competition, has crowdfunding gotten, well, too crowded? Is Kickstarter peaking? As the dollar amounts have grown, so has the potential for abuse. Hidden amidst all these success stories and multi-million dollar payouts are some sadder tales. The majority of the nearly 50,000 unfunded Kickstarter projects received less than 20 precent of their funding goals, with 11 percent never even getting a single pledge."
Link to Original Source
Link to Original Source
+ - T-Mobile ends contracts, ends subsidies.
Submitted
by
AlphaWolf_HK
AlphaWolf_HK writes "In what I see as a refreshing change, T-Mobile, the fourth largest carrier in the USA, has made sweeping changes to its service, with its CEO saying: "Here's the deal: If we suck this month, go somewhere else. If we're good, stay with us." after quietly ending contract plans last weekend. As part of that change, the new base plan will include unlimited access, including voice, text, and data. Data will be restricted to edge speeds after 500GB with no overage costs, but can be upgraded to 2.5GB for $10, or unlimited for $20. Portable wifi hotspot usage is also unrestricted for no additional cost. In addition, LTE services just went live in 8 markets. As is already standard practice with t-mobile, you are free to bring your own device. However, customers won't be fronting the full cost of the phone with unsubsidized plans. Unlike in the past, they'll know exactly what they're paying for the phone by means of interest free installments, and paying off the phone is an option at any time. Oh, and they're also offering the iphone 5 next month for $650. Or, you can do as I did and drop a cool $300 on a Nexus 4 directly from google, which unofficially works with t-mobiles LTE."