Proposed US (CISPA) cyber security bill criticised
A proposed bill concerning the sharing of intelligence to combat cyber crime in the US has been criticised by civil rights campaigners and journalists. The "Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act" (CISPA) sets out to to regulate which potentially confidential information can be shared between government agencies – such as the intelligence services and investigative authorities – and the private sector.
The House of Representative's Intelligence Committee approved the controversial bill by a large majority in December, but the chamber's representatives still need to vote on it. Read more...
Netflix updates Windows Phone, Xbox 360 apps
In order to attract more subscribers to the streaming video service on Netflix, development teams have rolled out improved versions of the Netflix application on mobile and gaming platforms this week.
Announced within the official Netflix blog this week, the streaming video development team has upgraded the mobile application for Windows Phone as well as the Netflix application for the Xbox 360. In addition to a variety of performance tweaks for the Windows Phone platform to reduce crashes and increase responsiveness, the updated mobile app now allows subscribers to choose their local language and view subtitles when watching a film or television series through the streaming service. As of today’s update, Netflix has also made the mobile application available in the United Kingdom, Ireland and all countries located within Latin America. The application can be downloaded for free through the Windows Phone Marketplace, but requires a monthly subscription to activate the service. Read more...
Amazon Web Services launches CloudSearch
Amazon Web Services has introduced CloudSearch, which allows users of its cloud to integrate fully managed and highly scalable search functionality into their applications, the company said on Thursday.
CloudSearch is based on the same A9 technology that powers search for Amazon.com, the company said
To use the search functionality, IT staff start by creating a search domain and uploading the data they want searchable. CloudSearch then automatically provisions the technology resources required and the indexes needed, the company said. Read more...
Microsoft adds 6 months to Office 2007′s support lifespan
Microsoft has extended the mainstream support period for Office 2007 by six months to align the suite's lifecycle with a little-known provision in the company's support policy.
Although it's unclear when Microsoft added the six months to Office 2007's lifetime, at one point the software was to leave mainstream support this week, and be put out to pasture in April 2017, the same month that Windows Vista is to retire.
Office 2007 will now exit mainstream support in October 2012, and fall off the support list for good in October 2017. Read more...
Geek deals: $437 off Dell laptop, docking station, and 20-inch monitor mega bundle
Business laptops can be boring. We understand your pain when your system breaks down and it’s time for a thick, hefty BlandBook, in a business-friendly color, with the mandatory optical drive, average about of RAM, and cost effective processor. Sometimes computers exist to get work done — you know it and we know it — but when you have to pick up a work computer, it makes sense to minimize the blandness and minimize the price, so as much many as possible can go back in your pocket. Read more...
7 smart toys for today’s connected kids
The price of admission to this year's hottest toys list is a touch of tech. Not that old double-A battery and an on-switch kind — today's toys come equipped with capacitive screens, augmented reality, and the assumption that you already have an iPad, an iPod touch, or an iPhone in the family. You know what that means? There's a good chance our youngsters are (or will soon be) more tech-savvy than we are.
The good news? Many of these toys will do more than just suck those little brains in and get them glued to yet another screen. Choose right, and their favorite new tech toy could help teach them about math, science, physics, digital photography, computer programming, or even motivate them to go outside and learn more about good ol' Mother Nature. Here are some of the best teaching toys that I've seen and tested so far this year. Read more...
Selling Versus Selling Out
“For many Instagram users it’s discomfiting to see a giant company they distrust purchase a tiny company they adore — like if Coldplay acquired Dirty Projectors, or a Gang of Four reunion was sponsored by Foxconn.” — Paul Ford
“ They didn’t sell “out”. They just sold. They’re a company not the fucking Rolling Stones.” — Paul Carr
“They could have done so much more,” is a quip I’ve been hearing a lot the past few days, about, who else? Instagram. The news that the Silicon Valley darling sold to Facebook left so many people heartbroken. Paul Ford over at New York magazine even wrote a long article about why so many people were heartbroken and, gasp, threatening to delete their Instagram accounts. Read more...
Sony Confirms 10,000 Jobs To Go As Part Of Its Big ‘One Sony’ Reorganization
So the reports have proven to be true: Sony has now officially said that it will be reducing its headcount by 10,000 people worldwide, some six percent of its workforce, as the struggling electronics giant reorganizes under new management and its new “One Sony” plan.
Sony says the employee reductions will be made over the course of this fiscal year, and will also include some employees leaving the company through sale and transfer. Meanwhile, the organizational restructuring will see Sony strengthen its focus on the core units of digital imaging, gaming and mobile; attempt to turn around its ailing TV business and expand in emerging markets. Altogether Sony estimates that the restructuring will cost it ¥75 billion ($926 million). Read more...
RIM plans first BlackBerry store in the Middle East, in latest international sales push
RIM is close to opening its first retail outlet in Dubai, as it plans to build its sales presence across the Middle East, as it continues to focus on international markets following efforts in India and Asia.
Bloomberg reports that the company is “in the final stages” of securing the lease for a 140 square meter space in a Dubai shopping mall, that’s according to Sandeep Saihgal, its managing director in the Middle East.
There are plans to further expand the retail outlets once the United Arab Emirates-based store is established, as Saihgal explains. “We’re getting the first one up and running and then we’ll be looking at other cities across the Middle East, [including] Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar.” Read more...