Take Back Control

It’s the 21st Century and it’s utterly mind blowing how so many sheeple [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/She...] are just plain outright unwilling to accept the fact that PCs can live without Anti Virus Software [it is possible]. I guess what I am saying is you don’t have to rely on it like you think you do. With all the options for cloud based backup services, it’s a wonder [or shame] how and why some of us still do not have all of our precious data backed up. External Hard Drive prices have dipped dramatically, so price cannot be an excuse. It’s has to be something else.   My comments on the answer to “If the technology...

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Copying Leads To Competition, Competition Leads To Innovation

Marco Arment, the creator of the popular read-it-later tool Instapaper, has an excellent blog post discussing copying, innovation, and the best ways to react to competition. Arment discusses a new Instapaper competitor called Readability, which launched last week and received a lot of praise for including custom fonts, something Instapaper lacks:I could have interpreted this defensively and complacently: “Georgia and Verdana are great, versatile, highly screen-readable fonts! I don’t need to do what competitors do! Newer isn’t always better! My crusty old fonts have some technical advantage that you don’t care about!” And so on. That would have just made me look stubborn and out of touch, failing to understand (in fact, trying very hard not to understand) why newer fonts could be attractive...

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Posted in: Competition,Copying,Innovation,Leads

Police Academy actor explores the history of video game SFX

From Pong to Portal, actor/comedian Michael Winslow looks back on the history of sound effects in video games as only he can. Actor Michael Winslow is probably best-known as the guy who made all of those crazy sounds in the Police Academy movies, but he recently contributed his noise-making talents to a short video looking back on the evolution of video-game sound effects.Produced by G4TV, the two-minute video has Winslow beep-bop-booping his way from Pong to Portal, and offering a timeline of sorts for some popular games’ use of SFX. There’s an extremely short list of games represented (only six?!), so the video is clearly aimed at providing...

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Posted in: Academy,actor,explores,history,Police,video

Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Apple Because Siri Doesn't Always Work Right

Technology doesn't always work quite as well as the advertisements claim. But is that any reason to sue? Apparently, yes. Some guy is trying to kick off a class action lawsuit against Apple because Siri doesn't work quite as well as it does in the TV ads. I imagine this lawsuit is going nowhere fast. Perhaps next time the guy should try asking Siri for legal advice...View the original article h...

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Posted in: Action,Against,Always,Apple,Because,Class,Doesnt,Filed,Lawsuit,Right

The new iPad has CIOs quaking in their cubicles

Apple’s newest iPad has some new elements that could make it a (bigger) hit in the enterprise, such as a higher-resolution screen for video conferencing and presentations as well as taking dictation. But it has become increasingly clear to corporations that their networks can’t handle the iPad or, really, most of the devices employees are bringing into their walls. We have done a lot of coverage on how iPads have made inroads into the enterprise, with 64 percent of mobile workers now carrying a tablet, and that will rise to nearly 80 percent within the next six months, according the Mobile Workforce Report (you can see the iPad breakdown below)....

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Don't Buy Antivirus Software, Vendor Says

By Howard Dahdah, computerworld.com.au Trend Micro's consumer security product manager has recommend people not to buy antivirus products, including his own. But there is a method to his madness, he assures. David Peterson, consumer segment director for Trend Micro's ANZ business, said only a handful of the top 10 security threats these days are viruses, with downloaders, Trojans, keyloggers and phishing scams filling up the list. As such, he believes standalone antivirus software is best suited for infrequent users of the Internet such as dial up users, or those who want protection from nasties on USB keys. "There is a niche for it but there are also people outside that niche who are buying it." He said standalone AV products are there because the market demands it. "I wish they...

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Anti-Virus Company Sued for Scare Tactics

Greg Tito | 12 January 2012 7:15 am  The makers of Norton Antivirus are accused of running fake scans and bullying customers into purchases. We've all seen the messages pop up on our screen. "Malware detected!" "Your computer is infected!" "Download this software now or cybercriminals will invade your privacy, steal your identity and obliterate your soul!" These are the tactics of third-rate scams, designed to have you click on them and - ironically - install viruses and malware on your machine, but I've always wondered how somewhat "trusted" antivirus companies like Symantec and McAfee got away with using similar methods....

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Rumor: Amazon building brick-and-mortar store to stay competitive with iPad and Nook

A rumor is floating around about an upcoming Amazon move into the physical brick-and-mortar space. Is this a move to focus on the Fire and stay competitive with Apple and Barnes & Noble's physical tablet support? Amazon is reportedly pushing further into the physical realm with plans to build brick-and-mortar boutiques which will showcase the company’s e-readers, tablets and other products. While talk of an Amazon retail store has been heard before (patent D593,208), the recent rumors have taken form from details in a report by the Good E-Reader tablet and e-reader news site. Citing unnamed sources, Good E-reader says that Amazon will be...

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Posted in: Amazon,brickandmortar,building,competitive,Rumor,store

Mini Apple Stores may be headed to Sam’s Club

Apple and Sam's Club are reportedly working out a deal to open mini Apple Stores in Sam's Club locations. When you think of Apple, what likely comes to mind is well-designed high-end electronics that may or may not be worth the hefty price. When you think of Sam’s Club, you probably think something more along the lines of bulk packages of individually wrapped pickles, and free samples of teriyaki chicken on a toothpick. But those two worlds may soon combine. According to 9to5Mac, Sam’s Club (a subsidiary of Walmart) and Apple are in early negotiations to open mini Apple Stores inside Sam’s Club locations.As members know, Sam’s Club already sells...

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Posted in: Apple,headed,Stores

iPhone Data Debunks Recording Industry's Report On How French Three Strikes Law Increased Sales

The annual Digital Music Report (pdf) of the International Federation for the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) is a curiously conflicted production. On the one hand, it must celebrate "a healthy 8 per cent increase in our digital revenues in 2011 -- the first time the annual growth rate has risen since records began in 2004 "; on the other, it must continue to push the party line about how the industry is being destroyed by piracy. The IFPI has a stab a reconciling that contradiction, writing: "The truth is that record companies are building a successful digital music business in spite of the environment in which they operate, not because of it." However, it desperately needs some proof of that statement, because otherwise the simplest explanation is that piracy is not a serious problem, and...

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Posted in: Debunks,French,Increased,Industrys,iPhone,Recording,Report,Sales,strikes,Three

Windows Phone 8 details leak: Huge changes ahead

A leaked video has shed light on Microsoft's upcoming plans for Windows Phone 8 including deep Skype integration, the elimination of the Zune PC software, BitLocker encryption, NFC, multicore processor support, and a fundamental rewrite of the core of Windows Phone, better aligning its code base with Windows 8. We’ve been speculating about the next versions of Windows Phone since 7.5 (Mango) came out in late 2011, and it looks like it might be worth the wait. PocketNow claims to have intercepted an official Microsoft video intended for Windows Phone partners like Nokia. In it, Windows Phone Manager Joe Belfiore goes over a lot of new features...

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Posted in: ahead,changes,Details,Phone,Windows

Why Does The Recording Industry Complain When It's Often Its Own Worst Enemy?

We received an interesting email recently from Bilal in Dubai, explaining just how difficult it is to purchase legal music online from the Middle East, and wondering why it is that the recording industry keeps complaining that not enough people are buying, when it does nothing to allow them to buy in large parts of the world: I am a frustrated music listener, who is tired of hearing the music industry weep of low sales. I've been living in the Middle East for the past 5 years, specifically Dubai, and apparently we are not worthy of buying music online as all the legitimate online music stores (iTunes, Amazon MP3, etc...) are not available in this region. I don't understand how the music industry claims that it's suffering, and yet they forbid paying customers such as myself from buying their...

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Posted in: Complain,Enemy,Industry,Often,Recording,Worst

Why Piracy Is Indispensable For The Survival Of Our Culture

Last Year Techdirt wrote about the case of the huge collection of historic jazz recordings that had been acquired by the US National Jazz Museum. The central problem is that even if the recordings can be digitized before they deteriorate, very few people will hear them because of their complicated copyright status. But as this eye-opening article from Benj Edwards explains, bad as that situation is, it's even worse for the entire category of software creations. For example, consider the earlier generation of floppy-based programs: Floppy disks, which were once used as the medium du jour for personal computers, have a decidedly finite lifespan: estimates for the data retention abilities of a floppy range anywhere from one year to 30 years under optimal conditions. A floppy stores data in the...

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Posted in: Culture,Indispensable,Piracy,Survival

The Nokia Belle update is here, but is the end of Symbian hardware nigh?

Nokia begins the rollout of its Nokia Belle software update, but the future of its devices running Symbian may draw to a close sooner than expected. Nokia has announced that its latest update to the Symbian operating system, Nokia Belle, is now available for download. Announced in December last year, Nokia Belle caused controversy at the time due to its long gestation period, as well as for dropping the Symbian name.Previous updates always used the Symbian name in the title — Symbian Anna for example — but not so with Nokia Belle, a move that at the time came without explanation. The company’s head of marketing later said it was a question of...

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Posted in: Belle,hardware,Nokia,Symbian,update

The end of L and R markings is near, as new earbuds know in which ear they’re inserted

A Japanese research team has come up with a set of prototype headphones that detect which ear they've been inserted in, then changing the channel accordingly, so users don't have to check first. The one thing we all do before putting on a pair of headphones is check we’re putting the correct ‘bud in the correct ear, either with the little L and R markings, or by using another visual clue such as an in-line microphone to check which is which, thus ensuring the stereo separation is heard as the artist and audio mixer intended.It’s a tried-and-tested but decidedly low-tech solution, however a Japanese team of researchers at the Igarashi Design Interface...

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Posted in: earbuds,inserted,markings,Theyre,which

Nikon unveils D800 DSLR and yes, its pixel count is enormous

Nikon unveiled its latest DSLR camera on Tuesday, the D800, confirming recent rumors that it would incorporate a huge 36.3MP sensor. Buyers of the device might also want to consider getting several extra-large external hard drives to hold all of their super-sized images. The D800 starts shipping in March.Nikon unveiled the D800 in Tokyo on Tuesday, the latest addition to its DLSR range.The new camera takes much from Nikon’s recently released D4 flagship model, though there are of course plenty of differences too.The stand-out feature of the full-frame D800 device is its new 36.3MP CMOS sensor, which Nikon claims is capable of image quality “equal...

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Posted in: count,enormous,Nikon,pixel,unveils

Steve Jobs Bio: Its 6 Most Surprising Reveals

By Christina Bonnington   Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs doesn’t go on sale until Monday, but advanced copies have been delivered to the New York Times, Associated Press and Huffington Post, all of which have been dribbling out telling insights and factoids about Apple’s former CEO. We’ll be getting our own copy of the book — simply titled Steve Jobs — on Monday. Until then, enjoy these surprising peeks into the life and psyche of the 21st century’s most famous, if not celebrated, CEO. Steve Wanted to go ‘Thermonuclear’ on AndroidJobs was livid when HTC introduced an Android phone that shared a number of...

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Chilling video depicts all Japan quakes in 2011, including March disaster

Next month will mark a year since the devastating earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan on March 11. One YouTube user has used available data to create an incredible visualization map showing not just the March event but all the quakes that took place in and around the country last year. It's a chilling watch, and shows that Mother Nature is never resting. It may not be the kind of thing you want to watch just before going to bed—especially if you live on a major fault line—but these stunning videos really bring home just how volatile and violent things are below the Earth’s surface.YouTube user StoryMonoroch has created two stunning visualization...

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Posted in: Chilling,depicts,disaster,including,Japan,March,quakes,video

Did Nokia accidentally reveal a white Lumia 900?

Did Nokia accidentally reveal a white Lumia 900 on Facebook? If so, where is it going to be released, as without the AT&T branding, it could be about to make its international debut.Yesterday, Nokia made a lot of noise about the impending release of a white Lumia 800 Windows Phone handset, trumpeting its arrival on its Conversations blog and on its official Facebook page.We covered the news here and included a series of images from Nokia, however a subsequent snap of the virginal phone posted to Facebook has revealed something the previous pictures did not. It’s a forward facing video-call camera, and as we all know, the Lumia 800 doesn’t...

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Posted in: accidentally,Lumia,Nokia,reveal,white

Facebook may open source some of its back-end code this year

Releasing some of its core C++ code would give developers a more thorough understanding of the site's infrastructure. CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently described Facebook as embracing “the hacker way,” which is to say that the company has a sort of freedom and interest in constantly innovating, breaking, and creating without boundaries that limit other enterprise businesses. How much that applies to Facebook in practice has long been up for debate, but the company may be edging closer in that direction in the near future.Facebook research engineer Andrei Alexandrescu recently told Server-Side Magazine that the site is planning to release some of its...

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Posted in: backend,Facebook,source

Anonymous publishes email exchange with Symantec over $50K payoff

While Anonymous continues to go after public governments and corporations, Internet security firm Symantec is the latest company to receive attention from the hacking collective. Released in a Pastebin dump earlier today, members of Anonymous published a long series of emails between Anonymous member “Yamatough” and a representative of Symantec going by the name of Sam Thomas. While there’s no Sam Thomas listed on LinkedIn as working at Symantec, the IP address within the header of the exchange linked to the original “sam_thomas@symantec.com” email account can be traced back to Symantec’s Mountain View, California headquarters. Writing...

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Posted in: Anonymous,email,exchange,payoff,publishes,Symantec