http://www.technewsworld.comTechNewsWorld -- "All Tech, All the Time"en-usCopyright 2009Tue, 21 May 2013 23:58:34 GMTTue, 21 May 2013 23:58:34 GMT2hourly12013-05-21T23:58:34ZECT News NetworkTechNewsWorld -- "All Tech, All the Time"ECT News Network2013-05-21T23:58:34Zen-usCopyright 2009http://www.technewsworld.com/images/rss/tnw_100x36.jpghttp://www.technewsworld.comhttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c39dc1f/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A990Bhtml/story01.htmMobile identity was the theme that kicked off at a keynote speech Tuesday at CTIA 2013, the wireless industry trade show underway this week in Las Vegas. Michael Saylor, founder, chairman and CEO of MicroStrategy and author of <em>The Mobile Wave,</em> spoke of how mobile identity is making the shift from inconsequential to vital to our existence.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c39dc1f/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665263696/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c39dc1f/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665263696/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c39dc1f/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165665263696/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c39dc1f/a2t.img" border="0"/>Tue, 21 May 2013 23:24:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c39dc1f/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A990Bhtml/story01.htmEnid BurnsMobile2013-05-21T23:24:00Z Mobile identity was the theme that kicked off at a keynote speech Tuesday at CTIA 2013, the wireless industry trade show underway this week in Las Vegas. Michael Saylor, founder, chairman and CEO of MicroStrategy and author of The Mobile Wave, spoke of how mobile identity is making the shift from inconsequential to vital to our existence. The subject of identity is put into context as mobile phones grow in sophistication, and can act as a visual technological form of identification.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c39d9e9/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A970Bhtml/story01.htmIBM on Tuesday announced that it will offer Watson -- its artificial intelligence software package that won the <em>Jeopardy</em> game show -- as a customer service solution called Watson Engagement Advisor, a cognitive computing assistant that rapidly learns, adapts and understands a company's data.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c39d9e9/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665263454/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c39d9e9/kg/342-363/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665263454/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c39d9e9/kg/342-363/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165665263454/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c39d9e9/kg/342-363/a2t.img" border="0"/>Tue, 21 May 2013 23:01:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c39d9e9/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A970Bhtml/story01.htmRichard AdhikariComputing2013-05-21T23:01:00Z IBM on Tuesday announced that it will offer Watson -- its artificial intelligence software package that won the Jeopardy game show -- as a customer service solution called Watson Engagement Advisor, a cognitive computing assistant that rapidly learns, adapts and understands a company's data. Watson's data-crunching capabilities will be offered as part of IBM's Smarter Commerce initiative for automating a business's marketing, sales, procurement, supply chain, and service functions.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c39d507/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A960Bhtml/story01.htmDuring her keynote address at the opening session of the CTIA 2013 wireless industry trade show in Las Vegas, acting FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn spoke of continuing the work of her predecessor -- with a slight shift from focusing on rural communities to addressing the needs of the underprivileged. Clyburn, in her second day in office, stepped in as a late addition to the keynote lineup.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c39d507/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665262962/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c39d507/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665262962/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c39d507/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165665262962/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c39d507/a2t.img" border="0"/>Tue, 21 May 2013 22:38:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c39d507/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A960Bhtml/story01.htmEnid BurnsWireless Networking2013-05-21T22:38:00Z During her keynote address at the opening session of the CTIA 2013 wireless industry trade show in Las Vegas, acting FCC Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn spoke of continuing the work of her predecessor -- with a slight shift from focusing on rural communities to addressing the needs of the underprivileged. Clyburn, in her second day in office, stepped in as a late addition to the keynote lineup on the conference's first day. Because of her interim position, she should avoid risks, she said.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c39849a/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A940Bhtml/story01.htmMicrosoft has officially unveiled the Xbox One, promising it will usher in a new generation of games, TV and entertainment. The One comes a dozen years after the original Xbox video game console debuted, and eight years after its best-selling Xbox 360 proved that Microsoft was a serious contender in the gaming arena. The reveal took place at an event at its Redmond, Wash., campus on Tuesday.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c39849a/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664382307/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c39849a/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664382307/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c39849a/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664382307/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c39849a/a2t.img" border="0"/>Tue, 21 May 2013 21:31:42 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c39849a/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A940Bhtml/story01.htmPeter SuciuGaming2013-05-21T21:31:42Z Microsoft has officially unveiled the Xbox One, promising it will usher in a new generation of games, TV and entertainment. The One comes a dozen years after the original Xbox video game console debuted, and eight years after its best-selling Xbox 360 proved that Microsoft was a serious contender in the gaming arena. The reveal took place at an event at its Redmond, Wash., campus on Tuesday, three weeks in advance of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, trade show to be held this June in Los Angeles.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c36f174/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A920Bhtml/story01.htmA series of subsidiaries spanning numerous countries have helped Apple avoid billions in United States taxes, congressional investigators reported Monday. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., head of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which is looking into Apple's suspected transgressions, said that Apple "sought the holy grail of tax avoidance."<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c36f174/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664702706/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c36f174/kg/342/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664702706/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c36f174/kg/342/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664702706/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c36f174/kg/342/a2t.img" border="0"/>Tue, 21 May 2013 16:27:33 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c36f174/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A920Bhtml/story01.htmDavid VranicarTech Blog2013-05-21T16:27:33Z A series of subsidiaries spanning numerous countries have helped Apple avoid billions in United States taxes, congressional investigators reported Monday. Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., head of the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, said that Apple "sought the holy grail of tax avoidance." The company's offshore entities helped it avoid "tens of billions" worth of taxes, he added. Apple engages in schemes and gimmicks, lawmakers said, but they stopped short of accusing Apple of actually breaking any laws.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c346f20/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A850Bhtml/story01.htmInterest in nanochemistry research and energy storage led 18-year-old Eesha Khare, a senior at Lynbrook High School in San Jose, Calif., to develop a supercapacitor that could potentially be used in flexible displays and fabrics. Her effort won her first prize at the Intel Science Fair and the Project of the Year award in the California State Science Fair's senior division for 2013.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c346f20/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665247167/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c346f20/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665247167/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c346f20/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165665247167/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c346f20/a2t.img" border="0"/>Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c346f20/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A850Bhtml/story01.htmRichard AdhikariScience2013-05-21T12:00:00Z Interest in nanochemistry research and energy storage led 18-year-old Eesha Khare, a senior at Lynbrook High School in San Jose, Calif., to develop a supercapacitor that could potentially be used in flexible displays and fabrics. Her effort won her first prize at the Intel Science Fair and the Project of the Year award in the California State Science Fair's senior division for 2013. Khare created a nanorod electrode capacitor with increased electricity density that retained a supercapacitor's energy density.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c341bd9/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A790Bhtml/story01.htmGraphs are everywhere. You find them on websites adding social capabilities. Telecommunications companies use graphs to personalize customer services. Innovative bioinformatics researchers, and other organizations are adopting graph databases to model and query connected data. Neo Technology has pioneered graph databases since 2000.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c341bd9/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664694162/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c341bd9/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664694162/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c341bd9/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664694162/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c341bd9/a2t.img" border="0"/>Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c341bd9/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A790Bhtml/story01.htmJack GermainExclusives2013-05-21T12:00:00Z Graphs are everywhere. You find them on websites adding social capabilities. Telecommunications companies use graphs to personalize customer services. Innovative bioinformatics researchers, and other organizations are adopting graph databases to model and query connected data. Neo Technology has pioneered graph databases since 2000 and has been instrumental in bringing the power of the social graph to customers such as Adobe, Cisco and Deutsche Telekom.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c341bd4/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A860Bhtml/story01.htmDesigners of operating systems can't think of everything that should be in their programs. Utilities are a testament to that. Utilities are software programs that do things that should have been included in an operating system, but weren't. They can help you keep your system performing at top speed or solve irritating problems.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c341bd4/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664694160/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c341bd4/kg/342-355-363/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664694160/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c341bd4/kg/342-355-363/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664694160/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c341bd4/kg/342-355-363/a2t.img" border="0"/>Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c341bd4/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A860Bhtml/story01.htmJohn P. Mello Jr.Reviews2013-05-21T12:00:00Z Designers of operating systems can't think of everything that should be in their programs. Utilities are a testament to that. Utilities are software programs that do things that should have been included in an operating system, but weren't. They can help you keep your system performing at top speed, solve irritating problems or just keep valuable information at your fingertips. For example, you might want to have the windows on your desktop placed just so when you're working.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c3376e9/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A80A0Bhtml/story01.htmAs parents of children with peanut sensitivities well know, awareness of what's in their kids' food is of paramount importance. In order to detect this allergen -- and many others -- engineers at UCLA have created a system called iTube. It involves placing a small amount of food in a test tube, shining a light on it, and then using a smartphone's camera and a specially-designed app.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c3376e9/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664272920/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c3376e9/kg/342-355-363/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664272920/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c3376e9/kg/342-355-363/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664272920/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c3376e9/kg/342-355-363/a2t.img" border="0"/>Tue, 21 May 2013 12:00:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c3376e9/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A80A0Bhtml/story01.htmVivian WagnerTechnology2013-05-21T12:00:00Z As parents of children with peanut sensitivities well know, awareness of what's in their kids' food is of paramount importance. In order to detect this allergen -- and many others -- engineers at UCLA have created a system called iTube. It involves placing a small amount of food in a test tube with chemicals, shining a light on it, and then using a smartphone's camera and a specially-designed app to analyze the light for signs of particular ingredients, such as peanuts, eggs, or other allergens.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c2cb698/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A840Bhtml/story01.htmYahoo confirmed on Monday that it was acquiring Tumblr for US$1.1 billion -- perhaps further propelling the flight of Tumblr bloggers that began when rumors of the sale intensified last week. While the deal has implications on many levels and for many players, at least one group appears to have weighed the transaction and come to a conclusion about its merits.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c2cb698/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664251183/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c2cb698/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664251183/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c2cb698/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664251183/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c2cb698/a2t.img" border="0"/>Mon, 20 May 2013 22:21:17 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c2cb698/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A840Bhtml/story01.htmErika MorphyBlogosphere2013-05-20T22:21:17Z Yahoo confirmed on Monday that it was acquiring Tumblr for US$1.1 billion -- perhaps further propelling the flight of Tumblr bloggers that began when rumors of the sale intensified last week. While the deal has implications on many levels and for many players -- starting with Yahoo and its shareholders and including the youth segment Yahoo intends to target -- at least one group appears to have weighed the transaction and come to a conclusion about its merits. Tumblr bloggers reportedly have been leaving in droves to join Wordpress.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c2c7f9e/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A780Bhtml/story01.htmJolla on Monday launched the first smartphone to run its Sailfish operating system. The handset, which is now available for preorder, will come with a removable back plate designed to let the phone user customize its interface. Jolla was founded by former Nokia employees who wanted to continue the development work the company had started with the MeeGo OS.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c2c7f9e/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664343339/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c2c7f9e/kg/342-355-363/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664343339/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c2c7f9e/kg/342-355-363/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664343339/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c2c7f9e/kg/342-355-363/a2t.img" border="0"/>Mon, 20 May 2013 21:29:42 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c2c7f9e/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A780Bhtml/story01.htmPeter SuciuSmartphones2013-05-20T21:29:42Z Jolla on Monday launched the first smartphone to run its Sailfish operating system. The handset, which is now available for preorder, will come with a removable back plate designed to let the phone user customize its interface. Jolla was founded by former Nokia employees who wanted to continue the development work the company had started with the MeeGo OS. Nokia dropped MeeGo and tied its fortunes to the Windows Phone OS instead. "This is an experimental strategy," said Ian Fogg, mobile phone analyst at IHS Screen Digest.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c2adf3c/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A820Bhtml/story01.htmAfter a three-month lull, China's People's Liberation Army has resumed hack attacks against United States companies and government agencies. Despite a ballyhooed February report from private security firm Mandiant, and despite public complaints from the Pentagon, Unit 61398, the PLA group made famous by the report, is again back to its hacking ways.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c2adf3c/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664150207/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c2adf3c/kg/342-363/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664150207/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c2adf3c/kg/342-363/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664150207/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c2adf3c/kg/342-363/a2t.img" border="0"/>Mon, 20 May 2013 17:08:10 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c2adf3c/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A820Bhtml/story01.htmDavid VranicarTech Blog2013-05-20T17:08:10Z After a three-month lull, China's People's Liberation Army has resumed hack attacks against United States companies and government agencies. Despite a ballyhooed February report from private security firm Mandiant, and despite public complaints from the Pentagon, Unit 61398, the PLA group made famous by the report, is again back to its hacking ways. Mandiant put the volume of the attacks at 60 to 70 percent of that seen prior to its February report.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c2864b0/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A730Bhtml/story01.htmChances are you've never heard of the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau, but you may be familiar with its former Internet domain: PW. That's because the domain, now owned by Directi, has become a favorite of spammers. According to Fort Systems, Directi -- which christened PW "Professional Web" -- began offering the top-level domain to all comers at rock-bottom prices.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c2864b0/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664143168/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c2864b0/kg/342-363/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664143168/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c2864b0/kg/342-363/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664143168/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c2864b0/kg/342-363/a2t.img" border="0"/>Mon, 20 May 2013 13:00:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c2864b0/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A730Bhtml/story01.htmJohn P. Mello Jr.Security2013-05-20T13:00:00Z Chances are you've never heard of the tiny Pacific island nation of Palau, but you may be familiar with its former Internet domain: PW. That's because the domain, now owned by Directi, has become a favorite of spammers. According to Fort Systems, Directi -- which christened PW "Professional Web" -- began offering the top-level domain to all comers at rock-bottom prices, which attracted spammers. Symantec spotted a big spike in spam URLs containing the PW domain at the end of April.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c28149d/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A70A0Bhtml/story01.htmI'm a sucker for productivity management -- too much to do, never enough time, and there is <em>always</em>, it seems, some sort of flashing distraction. There are plenty of people out there with similar problems: Even if they survived a round of layoffs, there's usually a business need to get more done with fewer resources and people.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c28149d/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665207798/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c28149d/kg/342-363/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665207798/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c28149d/kg/342-363/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165665207798/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c28149d/kg/342-363/a2t.img" border="0"/>Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c28149d/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A70A0Bhtml/story01.htmChris MaxcerReviews2013-05-20T12:00:00Z I'm a sucker for productivity management -- too much to do, never enough time, and there is always, it seems, some sort of flashing distraction. There are plenty of people out there with similar problems: Even if they survived a round of layoffs, there's usually a business need to get more done with fewer resources and people. If the ability to avoid distraction and meter out your energy in timed sprints sounds good, you'll want to check out 30/30 by Binary Hammer.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c28149b/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A760Bhtml/story01.htmLife is like a roller coaster, as the popular saying goes, filled with both ups and downs. Here in the Linux blogosphere we've certainly experienced our share of downs in recent months -- thanks in large part to a frustrating spate of FUD -- but lately the clouds have parted and the sun is shining on Linux with full force once again.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c28149b/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665207797/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c28149b/kg/342-363/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665207797/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c28149b/kg/342-363/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165665207797/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c28149b/kg/342-363/a2t.img" border="0"/>Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c28149b/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A760Bhtml/story01.htmKatherine NoyesCommunity2013-05-20T12:00:00Z Life is like a roller coaster, as the popular saying goes, filled with both ups and downs. Here in the Linux blogosphere we've certainly experienced our share of downs in recent months -- thanks in large part to a frustrating spate of FUD -- but lately the clouds have parted and the sun is shining on Linux with full force once again. To wit: Last week we saw our favorite operating system named the "benchmark of quality." Now, the cheerfest continues with no less than a confession from a Windows kernel developer.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c280b60/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A770Bhtml/story01.htmApple and Google are currently at the top of the mobile device heap, but both companies are vulnerable at the moment. Apple has lost its iconic CEO and appears to be chasing Samsung, and you can't lead by following. Samsung is the dominant player on Android, but Google and Samsung are having relationship problems at the moment. Both have been quietly expressing dissatisfaction with the other.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c280b60/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665206779/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c280b60/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665206779/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c280b60/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165665206779/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c280b60/a2t.img" border="0"/>Mon, 20 May 2013 12:00:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c280b60/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A770Bhtml/story01.htmRob EnderleTech Buzz2013-05-20T12:00:00Z Apple and Google are currently at the top of the mobile device heap, but both companies are vulnerable at the moment. Apple has lost its iconic CEO and appears to be chasing Samsung, and you can't lead by following. Samsung is the dominant player on Android, but Google and Samsung are having relationship problems. Both have been quietly expressing dissatisfaction with the other. No other vendor -- except possibly LG or Lenovo -- appears truly ready to replace Samsung should it abandon the platform.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c17271c/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A710Bhtml/story01.htmCybercriminals use zero-day and unpatched application vulnerabilities to install data-stealing malware on corporate endpoints because these are -- and will continue to be -- an issue with virtually all software applications. Zero-day exploits that take advantage of unknown vulnerabilities are the hardest to defend.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c17271c/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664091038/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c17271c/kg/342-363/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664091038/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c17271c/kg/342-363/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664091038/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c17271c/kg/342-363/a2t.img" border="0"/>Sat, 18 May 2013 12:00:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c17271c/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A710Bhtml/story01.htmMickey BoodaeiMalware2013-05-18T12:00:00Z Cybercriminals use zero-day and unpatched application vulnerabilities to install data-stealing malware on corporate endpoints because these are -- and will continue to be -- an issue with virtually all software applications. Zero-day exploits that take advantage of unknown vulnerabilities are the hardest to defend. Even so, more than 60 percent of exploit kits target two-year-old vulnerabilities that actually have patches available. Any unpatched vulnerability, known or unknown, puts the user at risk.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c120b42/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A660Bhtml/story01.htmNintendo has once again gone straight to gamers with its latest Nintendo Direct video to generate hype for its latest offerings. The video game console maker and game publisher announced Friday that popular characters will arrive for the Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo 3DS handheld system. The latest Nintendo Direct primarily focused on games coming out this summer.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c120b42/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664588969/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c120b42/kg/355/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664588969/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c120b42/kg/355/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664588969/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c120b42/kg/355/a2t.img" border="0"/>Fri, 17 May 2013 19:24:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c120b42/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A660Bhtml/story01.htmPeter SuciuGaming2013-05-17T19:24:00Z Nintendo has once again gone straight to gamers with its latest Nintendo Direct video to generate hype for its latest offerings. The video game console maker and game publisher announced Friday that popular characters will arrive for the Nintendo Wii U and Nintendo 3DS handheld system. The latest Nintendo Direct primarily focused on games coming out this summer. Those include the Game and Wario title for the Wii U, which offers a variety of minigames that can be used with the Wii U's GamePad.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c11bba2/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A690Bhtml/story01.htmEight members of Congress have sent a letter to Google asking about the privacy implications of Google Glass. The letter was sent from Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) and seven other lawmakers from the bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus. It asks Google whether users will be able to opt in to various proposed scenarios.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c11bba2/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665139660/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c11bba2/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665139660/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c11bba2/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165665139660/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c11bba2/a2t.img" border="0"/>Fri, 17 May 2013 18:45:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c11bba2/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A690Bhtml/story01.htmErika MorphyPrivacy2013-05-17T18:45:00Z Eight members of Congress have sent a letter to Google asking about the privacy implications of Google Glass. The letter was sent from Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas) and seven other lawmakers from the bipartisan Congressional Privacy Caucus. It asks Google whether users will be able to opt in to various proposed scenarios. They ask, for example, whether users will be able to consent if Google collects device-specific information from Glass. The lawmakers are also concerned about non-user privacy.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c1027d9/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A670Bhtml/story01.htmIn what likely amounts to a combination of headline-chasing and genuine frustration, members of the British Parliament sounded off this week on Google and the company's tax practices. Margaret Hodge, chair of the public accounts committee, told Matt Brittin, Google's northern Europe boss, that Google's behavior on taxes was "devious" and "unethical."<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c1027d9/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664262027/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c1027d9/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664262027/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c1027d9/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664262027/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c1027d9/a2t.img" border="0"/>Fri, 17 May 2013 16:15:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c1027d9/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A670Bhtml/story01.htmDavid VranicarTech Law2013-05-17T16:15:00Z In what likely amounts to a combination of headline-chasing and genuine frustration, members of the British Parliament sounded off this week on Google and the company's tax practices. Margaret Hodge, chair of the public accounts committee, told Matt Brittin, Google's northern Europe boss, that Google's behavior on taxes was "devious" and "unethical." She added, for posterity, that Google does indeed "do evil," a reference to Google's longstanding motto, "Don't be evil."

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c0e30a4/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A550Bhtml/story01.htmI often run into issues playing video media on mobile devices. It's haunted me since the days of Windows Mobile on the Palm Treo -- remember those early smartphones? Believe it or not, it's still an issue years later with current tablets and smartphones. The problems that I've encountered have generally manifested themselves as either the file not playing or audio and video being out of sync.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c0e30a4/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665128067/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c0e30a4/kg/342-363/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665128067/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c0e30a4/kg/342-363/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165665128067/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c0e30a4/kg/342-363/a2t.img" border="0"/>Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c0e30a4/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A550Bhtml/story01.htmPatrick NelsonReviews2013-05-17T12:00:00Z I often run into issues playing video media on mobile devices. It's been something that has haunted me since the days of Windows Mobile on the Palm Treo -- remember those early smartphones? Believe it or not, it's still an issue years later with current tablets and smartphones. The problems that I've encountered have generally manifested themselves as either the file not playing at all due to type mismatches, or audio and video being out of sync. Some people live with these problems. I think it ruins the experience.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c0d7686/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A650Bhtml/story01.htmThis past week, a lesson about enterprise information security found its way to me via a somewhat unorthodox channel: specifically, an episode of Gordon Ramsay's <em>Kitchen Nightmares</em>. In this particular episode, the upshot was that Ramsay wasn't able to help. Why not? The owners weren't able to take criticism. There's a lesson in this for those of us in the network and security space.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c0d7686/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665126983/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c0d7686/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165665126983/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c0d7686/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165665126983/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c0d7686/a2t.img" border="0"/>Fri, 17 May 2013 12:00:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c0d7686/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A650Bhtml/story01.htmEd MoyleSecurity2013-05-17T12:00:00Z This past week, a lesson about enterprise information security found its way to me via a somewhat unorthodox channel: specifically, an episode of Gordon Ramsay's Kitchen Nightmares. In this particular episode, the upshot was that Ramsay wasn't able to help. Why not? The owners weren't able to take criticism. There's a lesson in this for those of us in the network and security space: To be successful, we need to be able to hear feedback. When we don't, we're leaving a valuable resource on the table.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c06f997/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A620Bhtml/story01.htmContinuing its revamp of the Google+ social network that began in March, Google announced on Wednesday the addition of 41 new features and a redesign of the service, which it claims has 190 million active users. The changes focus on three areas -- the Google+ stream, photos, and the Hangouts feature.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c06f997/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664555043/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c06f997/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664555043/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c06f997/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664555043/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c06f997/a2t.img" border="0"/>Thu, 16 May 2013 23:09:00 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c06f997/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A620Bhtml/story01.htmRichard AdhikariSocial Networking2013-05-16T23:09:00Z Continuing its revamp of the Google+ social network that began in March, Google announced on Wednesday the addition of 41 new features and a redesign of the service, which it claims has 190 million active users. The changes focus on three areas -- the Google+ stream, photos, and the Hangouts feature. Among other things, Google+ will automatically add hashtags to posts, identify and rank related conversations across the network, and serve up the hashtags for that content.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c06f1a0/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A540Bhtml/story01.htmTo discover the deepest mysteries of the universe, no ordinary computer will do. Solving some of the most challenging computer science problems -- notably toward the advancement of machine learning -- will require quantum computing. To that end, Google announced that it is launching the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab with NASA's Ames Research Center.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c06f1a0/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664554127/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c06f1a0/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664554127/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c06f1a0/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664554127/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c06f1a0/a2t.img" border="0"/>Thu, 16 May 2013 22:19:31 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c06f1a0/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A540Bhtml/story01.htmPeter SuciuComputing2013-05-16T22:19:31Z To discover the deepest mysteries of the universe, no ordinary computer will do. Solving some of the most challenging computer science problems -- notably toward the advancement of machine learning -- will require quantum computing. To that end, Google announced that it is launching the Quantum Artificial Intelligence Lab with NASA's Ames Research Center, which will host the lab. This facility will house a new quantum computer from D-Wave Systems and the Universities Space Research Association.

]]>http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c05f0ee/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A580Bhtml/story01.htm<em>The New Yorker</em> has launched Strongbox, an anonymous system for providing the publication with information, based on the open source DeadDrop program developed by the late Aaron Swartz and Kevin Poulsen. Strongbox can be thought of as an extension of the mailing address printed in small type on the magazine's inside cover, said <em>The New Yorker</em>.<img width='1' height='1' src='http://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c05f0ee/mf.gif' border='0'/><br/><br/><a href="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664230801/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c05f0ee/kg/355/a2.htm"><img src="http://da.feedsportal.com/r/165664230801/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c05f0ee/kg/355/a2.img" border="0"/></a><img width="1" height="1" src="http://pi.feedsportal.com/r/165664230801/u/0/f/632000/c/34520/s/2c05f0ee/kg/355/a2t.img" border="0"/>Thu, 16 May 2013 19:34:53 GMThttp://ectnews.com.feedsportal.com/c/34520/f/632000/s/2c05f0ee/l/0L0Stechnewsworld0N0Crsstory0C780A580Bhtml/story01.htmErika MorphyPrivacy2013-05-16T19:34:53Z The New Yorker has launched Strongbox, an anonymous system for providing the publication with information, based on the open source DeadDrop program developed by the late Aaron Swartz and Kevin Poulsen. Strongbox can be thought of as an extension of the mailing address printed in small type on the magazine's inside cover, said The New Yorker. Although documents can also be sent to that address, it is becoming more difficult to use the postal service anonymously. As for online messaging, anonymity has become highly difficult.

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