Imagine a quad-core Windows 8 laptop as light as a tablet. Enticing — but first let’s see if commercial designs actually appear from top-tier device makers.
[Read more]
CNET News
Monthly Archives: March 2012
A quad-core Windows 8 laptop more ultra than an ultrabook?
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Amazon stores 1,700 human genomes in the cloud
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Not content with speeding up web browsing and hosting federal data, Amazon Web Services are now helping in the fight against disease. Bezos’ crew is donating a chunk of free cloud storage to the 1000 Genomes project, which aims to make it easier for scientists to search for genetic variations linked to diseases. These gene-hunters can also use Amazon’s Elastic Cloud Compute service to analyze data and discover patterns, although those functions won’t come gratis. The DNA sequences of 1,700 mostly anonymous Homo sapiens from around the world have already been logged, but the project has to upload another 1,000 samples before it meets statistical requirements. If it ever needs fresh volunteers, perhaps a free USB gene sequencer and a Prime subscription might do the trick?
Amazon stores 1,700 human genomes in the cloud originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 09:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Engadget
BMW adds extra sportiness to its i-series lineup, unveils i8 Concept Spyder
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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We’ve swooned over BMW’s i3 and i8 plug-in gasoline electric hybrids for some time now, so naturally our hearts raced today when the company announced its latest addition to the series, the i8 Concept Spyder. What you’re looking at is essentially a sportier version of the i8 Coupe, with the appropriate accents and design tweaks to match. So, what’s different in this variant of the nearly gull-winged wonder with a 96 kW / 131hp electric motor up front and 164 kW / 223hp gasoline engine on back? BMW notes that the vehicle features a shorter wheelbase and overall length (all while maintaining its 50-50 weight distribution), a slighter darker interior and refreshed paint job on its exterior, topless roof and even a pair of matching folded kickboards(!) that stow in the back. BMW hasn’t mentioned when they’ll be showing this Spyder in flesh, but as Autoblog notes, the New York Auto show is only a week way — and we’ll be sure to let you know if we spot it ourselves. In the meantime, you can zip over to Autoblog and the press release after the break for the details.
Continue reading BMW adds extra sportiness to its i-series lineup, unveils i8 Concept Spyder
BMW adds extra sportiness to its i-series lineup, unveils i8 Concept Spyder originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 18:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
We’re Going To This Super Happy Block Party In Palo Alto, And You Should Too
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Who throws a party in Palo Alto?!
Well actually … Today Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors, Talent House, Super Happy Dev House and the City of Palo Alto itself have joined forces to give nerds a place to play on University Ave for 12 hours. So why should you stop coding and jump on Super Happy Block Party bandwagon? Well a gaggle of VCs have occupied the 3rd floor of the High/Alma South Garage, committing themselves to hearing your ideas until 7pm tonight. Poor things!
The ‘So What’ Of The Quantified Self
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Assuming that each of us has a picture of the “real world superhero” we want to become someday, then the optimal way to level up and reach that goal begins with the ability to measure and score our lives. Thankfully, new technologies in mainstream gadgets like iPhones and the Nike+ enable this kind of measurement, and are fueling the so-called Quantified Self movement, starting with the continuous tracking of various aspects of our physical bodies.
Using sensors in our smartphones and other wearable devices, we can chart how many calories we burn, our body fat percentage, how many steps we take in a day, how long we sleep — even how many hours a week we spend commuting or sitting at a desk. Soon we’ll be able to access the same kind of statistics on our digital selves: Social reach and influence; tastes and preferences; achievements; credibility and reputation; habits; expertise.
TechCrunch
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson On Social Media And His Favorite Tech [TCTV]
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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It’s the eve of WrestleMania 28, and I got a chance to meet with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. What does that have to do with tech? Well, in the video interview, Johnson shares his thoughts on how social media has changed the game, what is his favorite tech and how he uses it to engage his fans.
Johnson says he launched his Twitter account a little more than a year ago, and that it’s “one of the greatest things” he’s ever done, because it gives him a way to connect directly to fans.
TechCrunch
Flurry’s analytics: Apple’s App Store revenue still leading, but Amazon Appstore close behind
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Not like we haven’t seen this dog-and-pony show before, but Flurry’s latest round of analytics — which measured revenue of 11 million daily active users from mid-January through the end of February 2012 — shows Amazon’s Appstore pulling in a shocking amount of revenue given the short life that it has lived. Apple’s strength in sales has been well documented, but the latest report shows that for every $ 1 generated in the iTunes App Store, $ 0.89 is being spent in the Amazon Appstore. Looking more broadly, the numbers show that just $ 0.23 are generated in the Google Play halls for every $ 1 spent in the App Store, but that’s hardly a new phenomenon; the ease of sideloading (amongst other factors) has raised complaints from Android developers for years now. Flurry’s conclusion is that Google’s core strength simply isn’t in running a store — something it’s about to do once more with Android slates — while both Apple and Amazon excel in doing just that. Curiously, Windows Phone and BlackBerry were left off of this report, but we’re hoping to see those cats thrown in the next ‘go round. After all, RIM sure seems certain that its developers are making out just fine.
Flurry’s analytics: Apple’s App Store revenue still leading, but Amazon Appstore close behind originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Engadget
Microsoft’s challenge to iPhones and Androids extended
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Microsoft was due to end its “Smoked By Windows Phone” challenge two days ago. Now it has extended the amusing, but occasionally controversial, promotion until April 5. It’s time to prove yourself at your local Microsoft store.
[Read more]
CNET News
Nano-SIM Decision Delayed
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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judgecorp writes “The decision on the next generation of even-smaller SIM cards for phones and other devices has been delayed by standards body ETSI, and the issue (which should have been settled this week) is nowhere near resolution. Apple wants to trim the existing micro-SIM further, Nokia wants to move to something like a micro-SD card which may involve patents. Meanwhile RIM has complained about Apple’s approach.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Gillmor Gang: Daddy, What’s Microsoft?
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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The Gillmor Gang — Robert Scoble, John Taschek, Rob La Gesse, Kevin Marks, and Steve Gillmor — rode out of Dodge and straight into an ambush. Well, no, but in service of the OverAggregator Lord here are our talking points: Microsoft trembles at the alter of irrelevance, Google doesn’t get TV but may sneak into the tablet market by giving them away, and HTML5 still can’t get a date.
I snuck in the usual mentions of Mad Men and push notification, the first a reference to the return of the mesmerizing prequel to Seinfeld, and the second the technology that ensures that you don’t have to watch the stream all day to stay up with what’s going on. Combining delayed gratification theatre with premature notification will produce the next big hit of the iPad Age.
TechCrunch
Tired Of Straight Tech News? Check Out Techcrunch.com/Drama
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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We know that many of you visit TechCrunch on the regular for a hearty dose of startup coverage, general tech news and opinionated coverage of the tech zeitgeist. But we also know that the trainwreck posting on our hirings and firings, Aol spats, tech gossip and quibbles between staff is what really gets your fingers clicking and blood boiling.
I mean, it’s like a car accident, you can’t help but stare.
Visa, MasterCard acknowledge data breach
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Both Visa and MasterCard Friday are acknowledging a possible data breach of a payment-card processing company network that, once an investigation is completed, could show that sensitive data from cardholders was stolen and payment fraud committed due to the break-in.
Computerworld News
Long Beach, Calif. failed to collect $17.6M in fines, blames software
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Traffic-law violators in Long Beach, California, have gotten to keep a little more money in their wallets, as the municipality has failed to collect US$ 17.6 million in outstanding parking violation fees due to an "antiquated" software system, according to a report released this week by city auditor Laura Doud.
Computerworld News
Why I’ll Never Buy Another Used Game (And Why You Shouldn’t, Either)
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Used video games have become a desirable purchase for many industry fans. With prices coming in at substantially lower amounts than new alternatives, it simply makes sense to many people to buy used titles. The more you save, the more products you can buy, right? I’ve long been one of those people that tries to
Cool site of the day: The donation station
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Google Maps 8-bit version for NES: April Fools arrives a day early in Mountain View
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Well, it appears that April Fools in full effect — at least if you ask Google. Today the company introduced its “latest” build of Google Maps, dubbed Google Maps 8-bit version, tailored specifically for the Nintendo Entertainment System. According to Google, this Dragonquest spoof version of Maps will come in the form of a special NES cartridge that can connect to the internet via dial-up. This apparently allows most of the heavy lifting to get done on Google’s servers, where the maps are rendered to 8-bit form “in real-time.” Better yet, it even supports voice search. Naturally, there’s no word on a release date, but you can currently check out the “beta” by visiting Google Maps in your browser and selecting “Start Your Quest.” That said, that company warns that “your system may not meet the minimum requirements for 8-bit computations” — something tells us it’ll still be less resource-intensive than Crysis, though. We’ve checked it out and found some goodies, including an alien at Area 51, so let us know what you come across during your journey in the comments.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Continue reading Google Maps 8-bit version for NES: April Fools arrives a day early in Mountain View
Google Maps 8-bit version for NES: April Fools arrives a day early in Mountain View originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 13:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Google’s hilarious April Fools’ Maps launch
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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What the world needs is a Google Maps 8-bit for the Nintendo Entertainment System. So Google launches it as an April Fools’ wheeze. But what is most beautiful is the performances from the actors in the launch video.
[Read more]
CNET News
Expedia adds to Google’s EU antitrust woes, decision expected after Easter
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Google’s position as the dominant search engine doesn’t come without a price. Smaller search sites have already tapped on the EU Commission’s door to register their complaints about how they are ranked, and Microsoft has also let its feelings on the matter be known. Now, we can add the Redmond spin-off, Expedia, to that list of sore losers disgruntled firms. The travel search site claims it has specific details outlining how the search giant has violated European anti-competitive laws. A Google spokesperson issued a statement saying “We haven’t seen the complaint yet, but we’ve been working to explain how our business works, cooperating with the European Commission since this investigation began.” The EU Competition Commissioner says a decision will be made after Easter, at which point Mountain View will either be charged, or the investigation will be dropped. If only that were the end of its EU troubles.
Expedia adds to Google’s EU antitrust woes, decision expected after Easter originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 13:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
The boomerang effect: Could American cyberweapon be turned against us?
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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So long, Canadian penny. I won’t miss you
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Canada has axed the irksome cent, and should do likewise with other coins and banknotes, says Crave writer Tim Hornyak. Do you want to live in a cashless society?
[Read more]
CNET News
Four Microsoft Courier alternatives for Android
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Global Payments hacked, 50,000 cardholders at risk
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Global Payments, a third-party payment card processor, has been hacked this morning, according to sources who spoke to the WSJ. The security breach puts nearly 50,000 Visa and MasterCard holders at risk. Both major credit card issuing agencies have alerted customers and asserted that their own systems are still secure. MasterCard has hired an independent
The PCI effect — for better or worse — following fresh breach of MasterCard, VISA
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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As many as 10 million users of VISA and MasterCard may have had their card numbers compromised in what sources in the financial sector are calling a "massive" breach of a U.S.-based credit card processor.
Computerworld News
Pencils survive and sales thrive, even in a digital age
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Gillmor Gang Live 03.30.12 (TCTV)
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Gillmor Gang – Robert Scoble, John Taschek, Kevin Marks, Rob La Gesse, and Steve Gillmor. Recording has concluded.
TechCrunch
Robotspeak: An electronic musician’s toy store
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Before coming to CNET, Donald Bell worked in a small San Francisco shop called Robotspeak. He returns to the scene for some geektastic fun.
[Read more]
CNET News
MPAA wants more criminal cases brought against ‘rogue’ sites
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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A Paramount Pictures exec said today that the studios continue to make criminal referrals against cyberlocker services dedicated to enabling piracy and identifies the top five ‘rogue’ sites.
[Read more]
CNET News
Is Technology A Zero-Sum Game?
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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In last week’s Get Rich or Die Trying article, I mentioned that “tech is a zero-sum, winner takes all game”. A reader objected, arguing: “I think that may be an inappropriate use of the term ‘zero-sum’ – one company’s increase in profits (or revenue) does not mean a competitor must see declining profits (or revenue)”.
History suggests that Jack Welch’s philosophy that “a company should be #1 or #2 in a particular industry or else leave it completely” is even more applicable to the tech industry, where the top player can build a sustainable and ever-growing business but everyone else is practically better off getting out.
TechCrunch
Nokia Lumia 900 pre-orders begin on AT&T
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Twitter Takes Tweetdeck Offline After Apparent Bug Opens Up Access To “Hundreds” Of Accounts [Back Now]
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Twitter has taken its Tweetdeck app offline after an apparent bug has possibly given some Tweetdeck users access to others’ accounts.
A Tweetdeck user in Sydney, Australia, Geoff Evanson, says he discovered today he was somehow able to access hundreds of other accounts through Tweetdeck. Twitter quickly responded to the situation by shutting off access to Tweetdeck entirely, claiming the need to “look into an issue.”
TechCrunch
SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: March 30, 2012
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Happy Friday, everyone. We’re wrapping up the month just around the corner, and the last business day of March proved to be chock full of news. And it isn’t all good news – Global Payments hacked, 50000 cardholders at risk. On a lighter note, though, the Nokia Lumia 900 Windows Phone is now available for
Google Maps Directions Adds Real-Time Traffic Estimates
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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First time accepted submitter constpointertoconst writes “If you use Google Maps to calculate directions, you may now notice (if your route is covered by their traffic data) an “in current traffic” travel estimate for current route. Some may recall that Google Maps had a similar estimate in the past, but it was removed last year due to poor accuracy.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
UK researchers work on disease-detecting nano-robot
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Marine monster mystery on South Carolina beach
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Why Google Might Be Going to $0
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Editor’s note: James Altucher is an investor, programmer, author, and entrepreneur. He is Managing Director of Formula Capital and has written 6 books on investing. His latest books are I Was Blind But Now I See and FAQ ME. You can follow him on Twitter @jaltucher. Ken Lang could perform miracles. In 1990 we would head off to a bar near where we were going to graduate school for computer science, and we would bring a Go board. Then we would drink and play Go for five hours. At the end of the five hours, after a grueling battle over the board, I remember this one time when magically Ken would show up with two girls who were actually willing to sit down and hang out with two guys who had a GO BOARD in front of them. How did Ken do that? Fast forward: 1991, CMU asks me to leave graduate school, citing lack of maturity. The professor who threw me out still occasionally calls me up asking me when I’m going to be mature enough. Fast forward: 1994, one of our classmates, Michael Mauldin is working on a database that automatically sorts by category pages his spider retrieves on the Internet. The name of his computer: lycos.cs.cmu.edu. Lycos eventually spins out of CMU, becomes the biggest seach engine, and goes public with a multi-billlion dollar valuation. Fast forward: Ken Lang starts a company called WiseWire. I was incredibly skeptical. I read through what the company is about. “No way,” I think to myself, “that this is going to make any money”. 1998: Ken files a patent that classified how search results and ad results are sorted based on the number of click-thrus an ad gets. He sells the company to Lycos for $ 40 million. Ken Lang becomes CTO of Lycos and they take over his patents.
TechCrunch
Nintendo Wii U gains Green Hills partner
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Nintendo has announced that it will partner with development company Green Hills Software to create and implement a development solution for its coming Wii U game console. The company will provide its MULTI integrated development environment to help third parties more easily and efficiently write code for the impending system. It will hopefully help third-party
Gallery of high internet art curates for class, forgets to trololol
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Care to take a walk down memory lane by way of the information superhighway? Good, because 21st century digital natives and Luddites alike could stand to benefit from some virtual navel-gazing. In what’s essentially a ‘look at how far we’ve come’ exhibit, My Life Scoop, Intel’s “connected lifestyle” site, has a collection of the more notable experiments that’ve sprung from our surprising interactions with the internet. Starting from the dial-up days of the mid-90′s and working up to the near present, curious users can peep the wacky ways we’ve used the web as a tool, ranging from a remote community gardening project (The Telegarden) to a stock index that auto-adjusts dress hemlines (Stock Market Skirt) to an interactive, Arcade Fire-soundtracked film made to showcase Google Chrome (The Wilderness Downtown). But don’t let us just tell you about these visual delights. Strap on those culture hats and meander through the finer artistic points of our shared online evolution at the source below.
Gallery of high internet art curates for class, forgets to trololol originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 05:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink BoingBoing | My Life Scoop | Email this | Comments
Engadget
Current TV plugs wrong Twitter ID for Olbermann replacement
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Not only did the Internet TV channel give out a Twitter ID that doesn’t belong to new anchor Eliot Spitzer, but it turns out the former New York governor doesn’t even use Twitter.
[Read more]
CNET News
What would Google gain from an online tablet store?
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Analysts are divided on the value of a reported plan by Google to sell its Android tablets in an online store, saying such a store wouldn’t help Google cut significantly into the 65% tablet market share that Apple’s iPad holds.
Computerworld News
Spotify takes Facebook’s Timeline feature to insane extremes
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Worried that Facebook’s new Timeline feature is going to offer up too much information? Don’t worry, whatever roller coaster ride your relationship status updates might be, you’ve got nothing on Spotify. The music streamer is offering up 1,000-odd years of music history on its Facebook page, reaching back to 1,000AD, which was apparently a big year for organum lovers.
Spotify takes Facebook’s Timeline feature to insane extremes originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Engadget
NIS America announces batch of new PS3 exclusives
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Android Ice Cream Sandwich coming to Motorola Droid Razr and Razr Maxx, April 4
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Motorola’s Droid Razr and Droid Razr Maxx for Verizon will get the Android 4.0 update on April 4, followed by the HTC Rezound on April 6.
[Read more]
CNET News
Ultra Disappointment? Nah, Ultrabooks Are Just Getting Started
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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This year was supposed to be the year of the Ultrabook. It was supposed to be the year where svelte notebooks became standard. It was supposed to be the year that Intel’s latest ultra-mobile platform gave Windows PC makers something to celebrate.
But that’s not happening. At least not yet. And that shouldn’t come as a surprise.
TechCrunch
Groupon’s Profit In 2011 Was Actually $22.6 Million Less Than They Previously Said
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Daily deals site Groupon today issued a pretty significant revision of the financial results it previously reported for the fourth quarter and the full year of 2011.
According to the company, it actually made $ 14.3 million less in revenue during the fourth quarter of 2011 than it previously reported — $ 492.2 million, compared to the previously stated $ 506.5 million. It also spent more in operating expenses than it previously said it did — resulting in its Q4 operating income and net income being $ 30 million and $ 22.6 million less, respectively, than the company initially said it was.
TechCrunch
Razer confirms plans to release left-handed Naga gaming mouse
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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It promised that it would do so if it received enough Likes on Facebook, and now Razer has confirmed that it is indeed proceeding with plans to release a left-handed version of its Naga gaming mouse. That comes after it received the required 10,000 Likes in less than a week — a full three weeks ahead of its April 21st deadline. Unfortunately, there’s no indication of a release date just yet, but you can rest assured that the MMO-focused mouse will be otherwise identical to its right-handed counterpart. The complete specs can be found in the press release after the break.
Continue reading Razer confirms plans to release left-handed Naga gaming mouse
Razer confirms plans to release left-handed Naga gaming mouse originally appeared on Engadget on Sat, 31 Mar 2012 02:13:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
Permalink | Razer (Facebook) | Email this | Comments
Engadget
German Court Rules Rapidshare Is Legal, But Must Adjust Content Policies
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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New submitter loosescrews writes “Online file locker Rapidshare is legal in Germany, but has to adjust its policy regarding infringing content, the Higher Regional Court in Hamburg has ruled. Rapidshare plans to appeal. Rapidshare was sued by the German copyright organization Gema which represents 64.000 copyright holders. After reading the verdict, both parties claim they are victorious.”
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Spotify keeps the free music party going in the US
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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New Milky Way photo captures 1 billion stars
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Gov’t targets online counterfeits more than digital piracy
Posted by Gsurface
on March 31, 2012
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Two U.S. agencies seized 270 websites in 2011 for alleged copyright infringement, but just 22 of those sites were targeted for digital piracy, with the rest allegedly selling counterfeit products, according to the annual report from the government's intellectual-property enforcement coordinator.
Computerworld News
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