Author: admin

Business Hardware Dev

ASUS teases new dual-boot hybrid device with its CES teaser (video)

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As reported on Engadget. BY DANIEL COOPER Just before a big tech show, ASUS likes to wheel out a baffling teaser to get us all in the mood. Normally, the clips involve panning over some brushed metal, promising that the new gear will transform your life. But every now and again, ASUS decides it’s time to travel to a world heritage site for a spot of vandalism. The latest victim is theStatue of Liberty, which throws a peace “V” to…

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Android Application

CyanogenMod downloaded 10 million times as it begins to go legit

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As reported on Engadget. BY STEVE DENT Though CyanogenMod has gotten plenty of ink lately for its Oppo N1 hookup andGoogle Play approval, it’s still first and foremost a modding outfit. In fact it just marked 10 million downloads of its custom Android ROMs, according to its latest stats. That marks a lot of folks wanting to un-skin some models, or give others like Samsung’s Galaxy S (shown above) new life. That model, along with the Galaxy SII…

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Health

Madagascar battles the Black Death

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As reported on The Verge. By Amar Toor Plague leaves dozens dead after one of the worst outbreaks in years The village of Mandritsara, where 20 people recently died from bubonic plague. (Flickr / Peter Stephens) To most, the plague is a thing of the past — a relic from the Middle Ages, when the disease known as the Black Death wiped out a third of Europe’s population. Yet despite being wiped out across much of the…

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Business Microsoft

Microsoft Exec Charged With Insider Trading, SEC Alleges 400K In Illegal Gains

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As reported on TechCrunch. by Alex Wilhelm Reality is always better than fiction. Today the Securities and Exchange Commission chargeda — now former — Microsoft “senior manager” with insider trading. The employee, Brian Jorgenson, is accused of working with a friend to trade Microsoft stock and shares of its partners ahead of news such as earnings, generating almost $400,000 in profits over the course of the partnership that began in April of 2012. The pair had intended…

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Government

Tim Draper Wants To Split California Into Pieces And Turn Silicon Valley Into Its Own State

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As reported on TechCrunch. by Gregory Ferenstein TechCrunch has learned about noted technology investor Tim Draper’s plan to split California into six separate states, including a Northern California slice appropriately named “Silicon Valley.” Draper shared his vision with TechCrunch tonight. He says he’s submitting a polished version to the state’s Attorney General in the form of a ballot proposition proposal within the next 48 hours. “Six Californias” already has a campaign website up and is eager for an…

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Google

Spain fines Google $1.2 million for allegedly violating privacy laws

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As reported on Engadget. BY JON FINGAS Google triggered investigations in six European countries when it revealed its unified privacy policy last year, but Spain is the first of the bunch to draw blood. The country just fined Google a total of €900,000 ($1.2 million) for allegedly violating data protection laws through its current approach. The firm isn’t properly explaining why it’s collecting personal information, the Spanish Data Protection Agency claims; it also isn’t saying how long it will keep…

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Culture

British Library’s web domain archive is now available, just not on the web

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As reported on Engadget. BY JON FINGAS If you need an illustration of the problems with overly stringent copyright laws, look no further than the British Library. The institution has just made its archive of UK website domains available to the public, but you can’t actually visit it from the web — the Legal Deposit Libraries Act requires that you stop by one of six libraries in the country to take a look. While reforms may be coming, the British Library…

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Business

Uber surge pricing: sound economic theory, bad business practice

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As reported on The Verge. By Ben Popper Adjusting for supply and demand makes sense on paper, but fails to understand basic consumer psychology When the snow started falling in New York City this past weekend, the prices for a ride in an Uber car began rising. It’s part of the company’s long-standing policy of “surge pricing”: using an algorithm that raises prices to adjust for demand. Uber says the higher prices motivate more drivers to…

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Application Entertainment

4K Netflix streaming launching next month

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As reported on The Verge. By Aaron Souppouris So long as you have a supported TV Netflix will start streaming movies and TV shows in 4K soon, but only to certain TVs. “We’re not naming specific manufacturers,” Netflix Chief Product Officer Neil Hunt tellsStuff, “but we have several of the major TV vendors who are going to be producing 4K-capable TVs — they’ll be announcing them at CES [in early January].” The high-resolution streams won’t be coming to…

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Google

Google’s Location History Browser Is A Minute-By-Minute Map Of Your Life

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As reported on TechCrunch. by Greg Kumparak Quick! Where were you last Tuesday at 6:35 PM? If you’re anything like me, your answer is probably along the lines of “I… have absolutely no idea.” Most people’s brains just don’t work that way. But odds are, Google knows. They probably know where you’ve been most other days, too. And they’ll happily show you, letting you relive your life one step at a time. If you carry any Google-filled gear…

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