Author: admin

Google

Google Acquires Titan Aerospace, The Drone Company Pursued By Facebook

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As reported on TechCrunch. by Darrell Etherington Google has acquired Titan Aerospace, the drone startup that makes high-flying robots which was previously scoped by Facebook as a potential acquisition target (as first reported by TechCrunch), the WSJ reports. The details of the purchase weren’t disclosed, but the deal comes after Facebook disclosed its own purchase of a Titan Aerospace competitor in U.K.-based Ascenta for its globe-spanning Internet plans. Both Ascenta and Titan Aerospace are in the business of high…

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Google

Google’s new terms of service tell you that it’s scanning email for ads

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As reported on Engadget. BY JON FINGAS Many Gmail users know that the service scans email looking for ad keywords, but some have been upset that Google hasn’t spelled this out — enough so that there are several privacy lawsuits underway. The company may have just headed off future trouble, though, by updating its terms of service to clearly state what’s taking place. Read through the giant text and you’ll see that the company now explicitly warns that “automated systems…

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Government Security

There’ll be no escape from the FBI’s new facial recognition system

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As reported on Engadget. BY DANIEL COOPER If you thought that the NSA wanted too much personal information, just wait a few months. The EFF is reporting that the FBI’s new facial recognition database, containing data for almost a third of the US population, will be ready to launch this summer. Codenamed NGI, the system combines the bureau’s 100 million-strong fingerprint database with palm prints, iris scans and mugshots. Naturally, this has alarmed privacy advocates, since it’s not just felons whose…

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Art

The hometown of British surveillance gets the Banksy treatment

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As reported on The Verge. By Aaron Souppouris A new a piece believed to be the work of street artist Banksy has emerged in the English town of Cheltenham. It touches on themes Banksy has explored before, namely the “surveillance state,” with all the subtlety of a sledgehammer. The untitled artwork subverts a phone booth and satellite dish, adding shady Dick Tracy-esque men that are assumedly listening in on phone calls. As well as appropriating existing objects to…

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Culture Story

#Love: Thanks, Porn

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As reported on TechCrunch. by John Biggs As a modern married male, the times spent alone with my computer and a box of tissues are, in some ways, the best times. That is not to say the manifold pleasures of family life and the wild menagerie of mere existence aren’t amazing, but a body likes to be alone. For this I thank porn. While there is no doubt that there are dark corners of this industry…

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Hardware Dev Tablet

Wall Mount MagBak Turns Your iPad Into A Fancy Magnet

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As reported on TechCrunch. by Catherine Shu The MagBak claims to be the world’s thinnest mount for the iPad. Indeed, the entire kit consists of a wall holder  (called the MagStick) that is only slightly thicker than pencil and a strong but thin magnetic grip which adheres to the back of the tablet. The latest version of the MagBak, which is available for the Air and Mini models, is on Kickstarter and has already raised nearly double its $15,000 goal with…

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Hardware Dev

This tiny generator can power wearable devices using your body heat

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As reported on Engadget. BY MARIELLA MOON Many wearables have decent enough battery life, but you know what’ll make them even better? If we never have to recharge them at all. That’s why researchers have been developing small power sources that can generate electricity using body heat, including a team from the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology. This particular group has designed a new light and flexible generator made out of thermoelectric (TE) substances printed on glass…

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Security

What is Heartbleed, anyway?

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As reported on Engadget. BY JOSE ANDRADE If you’re an IT professional, gadget blogger or token geek in your circle of friends, chances are, you’ve been hounded relentlessly over the past couple of days about “this Heartbleed thing.” “Do I need to update my antivirus?” “Can I login to my bank account now?” “Google already fixed it, right?” We’ve heard them all, but the answers aren’t all that clear or simple. In an attempt to take the pressure…

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History

‘Gospel of Jesus’s Wife’ likely isn’t a modern forgery, scientists claim

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As reported on The Verge. By Amar Toor  Analysis suggests that the controversial fragment is indeed ancient, but not everyone is convinced A controversial document that suggests that Jesus of Nazareth had a wife is most likely ancient and not a modern forgery, according to a paper published today in theHarvard Theological Review. The papyrus fragment, known as the “Gospel of Jesus’s Wife,” has been the subject of widespread debate since it was discovered in 2012 because it…

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Google

Google Lets Anyone In The U.S. Become A Glass Explorer For $1,500 Starting April 15

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As reported on TechCrunch. by Darrell Etherington Google isn’t doing its consumer launch of Glass just yet, but it is doing the next best thing: Opening up the Glass Explorer program to anyone in the U.S. starting April 15. That’s right, as of next Tuesday, any American resident can grab a Google Glass unit for $1,500 plus applicable taxes, and these will ship with your favorite shade or Glass-specific frame included, too. The program opens its doors…

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