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Atari Online News, Etc. Volume 15 Issue 41
Volume 15, Issue 41 Atari Online News, Etc. October 18, 2013
Published and Copyright (c) 1999 - 2013
All Rights Reserved
Atari Online News, Etc.
A-ONE Online Magazine
Dana P. Jacobson, Publisher/Managing Editor
Joseph Mirando, Managing Editor
Rob Mahlert, Associate Editor
Atari Online News, Etc. Staff
Dana P. Jacobson -- Editor
Joe Mirando -- "People Are Talking"
Michael Burkley -- "Unabashed Atariophile"
Albert Dayes -- "CC: Classic Chips"
Rob Mahlert -- Web site
Thomas J. Andrews -- "Keeper of the Flame"
With Contributions by:
Fred Horvat
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=~=~=~=
A-ONE #1541 10/18/13
~ Flossie Resurrection! ~ People Are Talking! ~ Win 8.1 Released!
~ Swartz's Legacy Lives! ~ Twitter Unveils Option ~ Chrome XP Updates!
~ Valve Shows Off Steam! ~ Ebay Founder's Venture ~ Win 8.1 Features!
~ "Shared Endorsements"! ~ Lenovo's Miix 2 Tablet ~ Apple Campus OK'ed!
-* Why Wait for PS4 To Launch? *-
-* Facebook Lifts Restriction on Teens *-
-* NSA Delayed Anti-leak Software at Base! *-
=~=~=~=
->From the Editor's Keyboard "Saying it like it is!"
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
When it rains, it pours - so the old adage claims! Well, I'm still
proof that the old saying is quite true! Family issues continue to
be a royal pain in the butt, and then some. Health issues continue
to be a problem, but slowly improving now that I have some ideas as
to what those issues are. But, everything continues to take its toll,
the most aggravating point. I guess we just have to deal with them
and continue to try and move forward.
The fall weather continues to be quite pleasant. The leaves are
changing colors slowly in our area - some more rapidly than others.
I've mulched some leaves during routine lawn-mowing, but haven't really
had to do much more to clean up. Maybe this weekend, I'll take a
look around the yard to see if I need to begin this annual autumn
"tradition" - cleaning up the leaves. Hopefully, by this time next
month, we'll be done with it all.
So, let's just get passed all that and get to this week's issue!
Until next time...
=~=~=~=
->In This Week's Gaming Section - Why Wait for The PS4 To Launch When?
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Valve Shows Off Steam Controller!
=~=~=~=
->A-ONE's Game Console Industry News - The Latest Gaming News!
""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
Why Wait for The PS4 To Launch When You Can Check It Out Right Now?
It has been seven years since Sony released the PlayStation 3, and this
week you can finally get your hands on its successor. Sony has set up
demo kiosks all around the U.S. so that gamers can get their hands on the
PlayStation 4 weeks before its November 15th launch. According to the
PlayStation Blog, the first wave of kiosks can be found at Sony Stores,
but other retail locations, such as GameStop, Walmart, Target and Best
Buy will also feature units in the coming weeks. The games that will be
available for sampling include Knack, Octodad: Dadliest Catch, FIFA 14,
Contrast, Super Motherload, and Pinball Arcade. Check and see if a
kiosk is in your area at the Experience PlayStation site.
Valve Shows Off Strategy, First-Person,
And Mouse-Driven Steam Controller Gameplay
The Steam Controller is different than the gamepads we are used to using
with consoles. The trackpads are designed to mimic mouse movement with
additional, mappable functions intended to give users access to keyboard
functions.
Unfortunately, when Valve first announced the controller, there was no
example of how it might actually look in use, nor were there hands-on
impressions from developers or media. The company is trying to rectify
that, and we've highlighted some developer responses to the device (which
have largely been positive).
Now, we finally get to see how the Steam Controller is used in four
different titles: Portal, Civilization V, Counter-Strike GO, and Papers,
Please. You can check out the video below.
Our Take
I'm slowly warming to the idea of the Steam Controller, but I'm not sold
yet. I still want to see a multiplayer match in an FPS with a Steam
Controller user hanging in with mouse and keyboard players.
I also don't see the Civilization V map-scrolling demo as the best way to
show off how the game works with a strategy. There is so much more to that
game than just scrolling around the map.
I'm eager to see more of these videos and actually hold and use one of
these. Valve still has a way to go to sell me on this, and this video is
a good first step.
=~=~=~=
A-ONE's Headline News
The Latest in Computer Technology News
Compiled by: Dana P. Jacobson
NSA Delayed Anti-leak Software at Base Where Snowden Worked
The U.S. National Security Agency failed to install the most up-to-date
anti-leak software at a site in Hawaii before contractor Edward Snowden
went to work there and downloaded tens of thousands of highly classified
documents, current and former U.S. officials told Reuters.
Well before Snowden joined Booz Allen Hamilton last spring and was
assigned to the NSA site as a systems administrator, other U.S. government
facilities had begun to install software designed to spot attempts by
unauthorized people to access or download data.
The purpose of the software, which in the NSA's case is made by a division
of Raytheon Co, is to block so-called "insider threats" - a response to an
order by President Barack Obama to tighten up access controls for
classified information in the wake of the leak of hundreds of thousands of
Pentagon and State Department documents by an Army private to WikiLeaks
website in 2010.
The main reason the software had not been installed at the NSA's Hawaii
facility by the time Snowden took up his assignment there was that it had
insufficient bandwidth to comfortably install it and ensure its effective
operation, according to one of the officials.
Due to the bandwidth issue, intelligence agencies in general moved more
slowly than non-spy government units, including the Defense Department,
to install anti-leak software, officials said.
NBC News reported earlier this year that Snowden, who has been charged
with espionage but was granted asylum in Russia, took advantage of
antiquated security systems to rummage through the NSA's computer systems
but details of the lapses in Hawaii have not previously been reported.
A spokeswoman for the NSA declined to discuss details of the agency's
schedule for installing anti-leak software in Hawaii. She said the agency
has had to speed up its efforts to tighten security in the wake of
Snowden's disclosures.
"We open our facilities only after we have met all of the necessary
regulatory, statutory, and infrastructure requirements," the spokeswoman
said. "NSA has a very large, diverse and complex IT infrastructure across
our global enterprise, and many features of that infrastructure evolve
over time as new capabilities are developed, refined, and deployed."
She added: "NSA and the Intelligence Community at large have been moving
forward with IT efficiency initiatives for several years. ... The
unauthorized disclosures have naturally compelled NSA and the rest of the
IC to accelerate the timeline."
Raytheon had no immediate comment.
In December 2010, the White House created a task force, headed by a
former senior intelligence officer, to develop plans and systems to
tighten access controls for classified information.
One of the specific initiatives announced by the White House for spy
agencies was the installation of a program described as "Enhanced
Automated, On-Line Audit Capability: Systems will monitor user activity
on all IC classified computer systems to detect unusual behavior."
The NSA Hawaii facility, known as a Remote Operations Center, opened in
January 2012, replacing an older site located in a nearby World War II-era
facility. The facility is focused on intercepting communications from
Asia, and the Washington Post has reported that it also is involved in
operations in cyberspace such as mapping adversaries' computer networks
and implanting electronic beacons.
Snowden was assigned by Booz Allen Hamilton to the Hawaii facility in late
March or early April 2013, after first attending training sessions near
NSA's Maryland headquarters.
He was only there for a few weeks before he told his employers that he
needed time off because of health problems. Snowden then disappeared and
turned up several weeks later in Hong Kong. There, he gave a TV interview
and a trove of secrets from the NSA and its British counterpart,
Government Communications Headquarters, to writer Glenn Greenwald,
filmmaker Laura Poitras, and journalists from Britain's Guardian
newspaper.
Reuters reported in August that Snowden began downloading documents
describing the U.S. government's electronic spying on an earlier job
working for Dell Inc in April 2012.
One official said Congressional oversight committees had repeatedly
expressed concerns to the administration that agencies across the
government, including spy units, had moved too slowly to install updated
security software.
Another official said that U.S. agencies were still not positive they
knew the details of all the material which Snowden had downloaded and
turned over to journalists.
Aaron Swartz's Legacy Lives On: SecureDrop Is A WikiLeaks for Any Journalist
In May, The New Yorker revealed what hacktivist Aaron Swartz was building
before his untimely death: an encrypted dead drop system that would let
whistleblowers leak documents to journalists without fear of exposing
their identity. The New Yorker launched its own implementation,
Strongbox, and other media outlets were free to do the same but in
August, noted security researchers at the University of Washington
reported that DeadDrop wasn't quite ready for primetime, citing issues
installing and using the software among many other things.That's where
Aaron Swartz's legacy stood until today.
Today, the Freedom of the Press Foundation has announced that it has taken
over the project, specifically hiring computer security expert James Dolan
full-time to maintain the code, help media organizations install the
software, and teach them how to use it well. The organization plans to
address "virtually all" of the recommendations made by the University of
Washington security researchers, and says it's already addressed a number
of specific issues that were pointed out. While the Freedom of the Press
Foundation is clear that SecureDrop isn't 100 percent secure, the
organization says that it's the safest method for communicating with
anonymous sources yet, and hopes to make it safer still. If you're
interested, you can contribute to Aaron Swartz's open-source legacy at
this Github repository.
Ebay Founder To Launch Independent Mass-market News Venture
EBay Inc founder Pierre Omidyar on Wednesday said he is building an
independent media organization covering news from sports to politics for
mainstream readers, spearheaded by big names including ex-Guardian
correspondent Glenn Greenwald.
Omidyar, the 46-year-old French-born Iranian-American who remains chairman
of the e-commerce giant he founded, wrote in a blog post that he
considered buying the Washington Post - which Amazon.com Inc founder Jeff
Bezos eventually snapped up - but decided he wanted to build a news
organization from the ground up.
"Right now, I'm in the very early stages of creating a new mass media
organization. I don't yet know how or when it will be rolled out, or what
it will look like," he wrote.
"I developed an interest in supporting independent journalists in a way
that leverages their work to the greatest extent possible, all in support
of the public interest. And, I want to find ways to convert mainstream
readers into engaged citizens. I think there's more that can be done in
this space, and I'm eager to explore the possibilities."
Omidyar's active Twitter feed suggests he is very concerned about
government-spying programs exposed by Greenwald and former U.S.
government contractor Edward Snowden. In his blog post, Omidyar spoke of
his growing interest in the role that journalism plays in society, and
his own support of efforts to promote government accountability and
transparency.
Omidyar, who is no longer involved in day-to-day operations at eBay,
stressed that his venture would remain separate from his numerous
philanthropic, business and political interests, run mainly through an
entity called the Omidyar Network.
Forbes pegged Omidyar's net worth at $8.5 billion. Among his ventures is
Honolulu Civil Beat, a news website covering public affairs in Hawaii.
Civil Beat aims to create a new online journalism model with paid
subscriptions and respectful comment threads, though it is unclear how
successful it has been.
Omidyar also founded the Democracy Fund to support "social entrepreneurs
working to ensure that our political system is responsive to the public,"
according to its website.
Omidyar added that Greenwald's former colleagues, Laura Poitras and Jeremy
Scahill, would also join his media project.
"I'll be sure to update you along the way as the new organization
progresses," he said.
Twitter Unveils Option to Receive Direct Messages From Anyone
Twitter is now giving users the option to receive direct messages (DMs)
from any other Twitter user, according to a tweet today from marketing
blogger Jim Connolly.
That means, for example, that you now have a direct path for your digital
fanmail to your favorite celebrity if they have the new feature enabled.
Connolly's tweet today included a small screen capture of how it appears
in his options.
Normally, DMs on Twitter are restrictive. They are kind of like vampires,
and just as Dracula can't come into your house without an explicit
invitation first, people sending DMs require that you follow them in
order for the message to be sent. However, the new option, which appears
in a user's Twitter account settings, lifts this requirement.
Connolly sees the option as benefitting brands and businesses rather than
individual users. "People complain all the time about bad customer service
experiences over Twitter," he told ABC News. "Now, those grievances can be
dealt with privately from the business end."
Though there are some cases when individuals may find it useful, such as
members of Congress learning the concerns of its citizens, Connolly sees
the option as tailored specifically to businesses. "Pretty much every
sizeable brand has a social media team," he said. "They now have a tool
that they couldn't have dreamed of before to help them."
Recent policy changes concerning privacy and identity at Google and
Facebook have stirred up some ill will among users. Unlike those
companies, however, Twitter has made it so users need to opt in to the
feature to receive DMs rather than toggling it off after receiving a
flood of DMs from people they don't know. "If it had been an opt out
option, it would have been mayhem," said Connolly.
Twitter did not immediately respond to ABC News' request for comment.
However, some have claimed that the DM announcement is actually old news,
citing an article from The Next Web.
Connolly himself has turned the option on and was surprised at how well
it's been working. "I've had about 150 DMs since I wrote a post about it
this morning," he said. "One hundred percent of them have been legitimate.
No spam. No weird people. Just people who know who I am."
Facebook Lifts Restriction on Teen Users Sharing With Public
Facebook Inc removed a restriction for users under 18 that previously
limited who could see their online postings from photos to musings on the
world-wide social network.
The No.1 online social network said that teenagers would now be able to
manually alter the setting and share information with the public. Until
now, a teenager's postings on Facebook were only viewable to their
friends, and to the friends of their friends.
However, Facebook said on Wednesday the default setting when teens do
share information on the 1.15 billion user network would go out to a
narrower group of people.
"Teens are among the savviest people using of social media, and whether
it comes to civic engagement, activism, or their thoughts on a new movie,
they want to be heard," Facebook said in an announcement of the changes.
"While only a small fraction of teens using Facebook might choose to post
publicly, this update now gives them the choice to share more broadly,
just like on other social media services," the company said.
The change comes as Facebook faces increasing competition from a new crop
of mobile and social services, such as SnapChat and WhatsApp, that have
proven popular with younger users.
Jeffrey Chester, Executive Director of the non-profit Center for Digital
Democracy, said that Facebook was sacrificing the safety and privacy of
teenage users in order to further its business.
"Teens don't necessarily have good judgment and to the extent that they
make themselves visible to the wider public, there's all kind of people -
from predators to junk food marketers - who are surveilling Facebook for
new kinds of targets," Chester said.
Other social media services also allow teens to share information with the
broader public. But Chester noted that the amount of personal information
that users have on Facebook is far more extensive than on other social
services, where users can create accounts with pseudonyms.
Facebook said that teenage users will also now be allowed to use the
"Follow" feature, which lets strangers automatically receive public posts
from another user without requiring that the two be connected on the
service as mutual "friends."
Nicky Jackson Colaco, Facebook's manager of privacy and public policy,
said that the changes would allow teenagers to share information that
might benefit from dissemination to a broader audience, such as
information about fundraising efforts, or a teen rock band trying to
promote an upcoming performance.
Malala Yousafzai, the 16-year-old Pakistani activist, would not have been
able to use Facebook as a broad communication channel under the previous
policy, noted Stephen Balkam, of the Family Online Safety Institute, a
non-profit that receives funding from several Internet companies,
including Facebook.
Facebook said it would show teenage users a special notice the first
couple of times they attempt to post information to the public, reminding
the user that the post can be seen by anyone.
The restrictions on teen use of Facebook's private messaging feature will
not change, with users under 18 only able to receive messages from their
friends and from the friends of their friends.
How To Opt Out of Google Policy That Displays Your Photo Beside Ads
The day after Facebook announced that it was removing a privacy option
that would make all of its users searchable, Google made its own
announcement for adding an option called "Shared Endorsements."
The new option would display Google users' names and profile pictures
beside advertisements for businesses and products that they've endorsed
with a review, a +1, or even a follow. Google account holders were
concerned about how these changes could be exploited, but Google is
giving its users the option to opt out early.
Unlike Facebook, which exists only as a social network, though one with
over a billion users, Google+ is tied to many other online services.
"Your Google username and password let you access lots of useful things,"
Google said in its official announcement, Such as "your Gmail messages,
Google+ photos, YouTube videos, Google Contacts list and more."
That interconnectivity is convenient for quick access, but also raises
some concerns since each service can have its own account settings.
However, Google has made it easier for its users to maintain privacy than
Facebook's recent policy change by explicitly giving its users a way to
opt out.
To do so, users can visit the appropriate webpage through Google's
announcement and follow it to the appropriate settings. For those who
want to share the news with friends or family but don't want to deal
with sending long links to follow, the option can also be accessed from a
Google user's account settings. Clicking on the "Google+ tab" on the left
sidebar will bring up the Shared Endorsements option.
Opting out of Shared Endorsements will keep users from having their
identity publicized in advertisements, but it may not extend far beyond
that. "This setting only applies to use in ads, and doesn't change
whether your Profile name or photo may be used in other places such as
Google Play," said Google. Google did not respond to ABC News' request
for comment.
However, some Google users are making their own statement and turning
Google's new ad policies on its head. Instead of opting out, they are
replacing their own profile photo with one of Eric Schmidt, Google's
executive chairman. The thought behind the profile swap is that if enough
Schmidt photos are seen beside the advertisements, Google will be made
aware that enough people care about the privacy concerns behind Shared
Endorsements to remove it all together.
Then again, it wouldn't be surprising if Google put its facial detection
software to use and just filtered out any advertisement with Schmidt's
photo.
Google Sets Plan To Sell Users' Endorsements
On Friday, Google announced an update to its terms of service that allows
the company to include adult users' names, photos and comments in ads
shown across the Web, based on ratings, reviews and posts they have made
on Google Plus and other Google services like YouTube.
When the new ad policy goes live Nov. 11, Google will be able to show
what the company calls shared endorsements on Google sites and across the
Web, on the more than two million sites in Google's display advertising
network, which are viewed by an estimated one billion people.
If a user follows a bakery on Google Plus or gives an album four stars on
the Google Play music service, for instance, that person's name, photo
and endorsement could show up in ads for that bakery or album.
Luckily, we have an opt-out. Go to this page
(https://plus.google.com/settings/endorsements?hl=en), remove the
checkmark at the bottom of the page, and done - Google won't be abusing
your personal information for endorsements.
Microsoft Releasing Windows 8.1, A Year in Making
Microsoft is releasing its long-awaited Windows 8.1 upgrade as a free
download starting Thursday. It addresses some of the gripes people have
had with Windows 8, the dramatically different operating system that
attempts to bridge the divide between tablets and PCs.
Windows 8.1 still features the dual worlds that Windows 8 created when it
came out last October. On one hand, it features a touch-enabled tile
interface resembling what's found in tablet computers. On the other,
there's the old desktop mode where the keyboard and mouse still reign.
The update adds some new finger- and gesture-friendly shortcuts for
touch-based apps, while restoring some respect for the desktop mode that
a billion PC users have become accustomed to.
The release comes as sales of traditional desktop and laptop computers
continue to decline because consumers are spending money instead on the
latest smartphones and tablets. It also comes at a time of transition for
Microsoft as the Redmond, Wash., company focuses on devices and services,
not just software. Earlier this month, Microsoft struck a deal to acquire
Nokia's phone business and patent rights for more than $7 billion.
Microsoft is also searching for a new CEO to replace Steven A. Ballmer,
who announced last month that he plans to retire within the next year.
The Window 8.1 update is free for current owners of Windows 8. It's
available starting at 7 a.m. Thursday in New York, which corresponds to
the start of Friday in New Zealand. Simply go to the Windows Store app to
find it. It may take a few hours for updates to reach everyone. Computers
with Windows 8.1 already installed will go on sale Friday local time.
That's also when people will be able to buy stand-alone copies of
Windows 8.1.
The changes range from the cosmetic to improved functionality:
RESTORING RESPECT FOR THE DESKTOP
START ME UP The Start button is back in desktop mode, although not the
way it was before Windows 8 came along. In Windows 7 and before, a click
on Start would have brought up programs and important folders in a list.
Now, one tap on Start flips you back to the new tile interface, where you
can click or tap tiles to open programs. A long press brings up crucial
settings such as the Control Panel.
BOOT TO DESKTOP You can now start up the machine in desktop mode,
bypassing the tiles for a short time. That removes some of the headache
for companies that want to use Windows 8 but don't want to buy a
touch-screen monitor for every employee.
TOUCH AND GESTURE UPDATES
ONSCREEN KEYBOARD SWIPES The onscreen keyboard now includes the ability
to type numbers or punctuation marks by swiping up or away from certain
keys on the standard "QWERTY" layout, eliminating the need to toggle
between numeric and alphabetic layouts. You can also select from
suggested words mid-stream using side swipes and taps on the virtual
spacebar.
GESTURE-ENABLED APPS You can now wave in the air in front of the
front-facing camera to get a response. For example, in the new app Bing
Food & Drink, a right-to-left wave in "Hands Free Mode" flips through
pages of a recipe.
QUICKER TILE ORGANIZING You can tap and hold Windows tiles with your
finger to move them. Another couple taps will allow you to resize them in
one of four sizes. In the previous version, you had to go back to the
mouse or touchpad and right-click on tiles to do this, and you were
limited to two sizes.
EASIER APPS ACCESS Finding all your apps takes just a swipe up on your
start screen, as long as you don't do it from beyond the bottom edge.
Before, you had to swipe up from the bottom edge, then tap on the All
Apps button.
SMALL CONVENIENCES
AUTOMATIC UPDATES Apps update in the background, replacing the constant
reminders to go to the Windows Store to update the apps yourself.
SMALLER TABLETS Windows 8.1 now has a home screen that looks good in
portrait mode on screens measuring 7 inches to 8 inches diagonally.
LOCK SCREEN ACCESS You can now answer Skype calls or take photos from
the lock screen without having to log in. Just swipe down. You can also
set other apps like Twitter to send notifications when the screen is
locked.
FUNCTIONAL CHANGES
BETTER MULTITASKING In Windows 8.1, you can run up to four apps at once
side by side, double the previous amount, though you need a large,
high-resolution monitor to do so (On their own, Microsoft's Surface
tablets are not big enough for more than two). You can resize panes using
a slider that moves side to side, instead of being limited to one larger
window and one slender one. This is still not as capable as Windows 7 or
in desktop mode, where you can open dozens of items in windows that can
be resized horizontally, vertically and diagonally. And many app makers
have yet to adapt, meaning some apps still appear as a thin sliver, even
if you want them to take up half the screen.
GLOBAL SEARCH Typing while on the tile-based start screen will pull up
multiple search results if applicable from your computer, the Web and
the Windows app store. If you're searching for a musician, you'll see a
list of popular songs you can play using Xbox Music, and if it's someone
famous (like President Barack Obama) you'll see biographical details,
videos and other information. Before, you had to choose where to search:
in apps, settings, computer files or on the Internet.
EMAIL UPDATE The standard-issue Mail app now has a "power pane" on
left-hand side with folders for updates from social networks like
Facebook, messages from favorite contacts and newsletters. Some of these
features work only with Microsoft accounts such as Hotmail and
Outlook.com, though. A new "sweep" command deletes multiple messages with
a couple taps.
BETTER BROWSING No longer are you limited to 10 open tabs in the tile
version of Internet Explorer. Before, Web pages automatically closed
without prompts when you try to open more. You can open as many as you
want now. Better yet, you can have two different websites displayed side
by side, the way you've long been able to before Windows 8 came along.
FUN STUFF
XBOX MUSIC REFRESH The music streaming app now optimizes playback over
discovery with a layout that has more lists and smaller photos. It also
adds the ability to create playlists from any website with a couple taps.
When on a website featuring artists, swipe in from the right edge and tap
the Share button followed by the Music button. It will create a song
playlist based on those artists, which you can then stream for free.
PICTURE EDITING A picture editor with pre-set effects comes with the
update, allowing for photo touchups, cropping, contrast changes and other
features.
XBOX ONE INTEGRATION You can pick up where you left off if you start
playing a video purchased on Xbox Video on a tablet and then watch the
rest on Microsoft's upcoming game console, Xbox One.
Microsoft Windows 8.1 Now Available for Download
Windows 8 users, your free update along with your "start" button are ready
for pickup.
This morning, Microsoft began making Windows 8.1 available for download
through the Windows store. Windows 8 users will begin seeing the update
in the store and can download it over the Internet.
Devices, including tablets, laptops and desktops, that run the software
will be available in stores Friday, Oct. 18. A boxed version of the
software will be out then, too.
The update addresses a series of gripes users have had about the software
since it was first introduced about a year ago. While most of the
operating system still will be centered around a "start screen" of apps
or live tiles, Microsoft is bringing back the "start" button to the main,
traditional desktop to help users adjust to the interface change.
The "start" button will appear in the lower, left-hand corner of the
desktop and allow users to return to that home screen of apps. Users will
also be able to set the machine to boot up automatically to the
traditional desktop interface.
That home screen will also see some changes. Users will have more options
for the size of the tiles and they will have more background and wallpaper
customizations to chose from. Microsoft also improved the multitasking
feature that allows users to run apps side by side. App sizes will be
more flexible now and users will be able to run as many as four on the
screen at the same time.
Apps will continue to be at the front of the experience. Both the design
of the Windows store and some of the core Microsoft apps have been
refreshed. The revised mail app will include more sorting options and
better organizational tools, the camera app will have a panorama setting
and there will be new "food & drink" and "health & fitness" apps.
Additionally, Bing Web search will be integrated right into the search
field, so when you begin searching it will surface local and Web results.
Many new additions also make it easier to use the touch-centric operating
system with a mouse and keyboard and make it simpler overall to learn how
to use the software with on-screen prompts. While the changes might not
convince some to adopt Windows, it will improve the experience for those
who are using it.
"If you haven't bought into mixing desktop and touch interfaces, it won't
convince you, at least not until Office is available in the touch
environment," Ross Rubin, principal analyst for Reticle Research, told
ABC News. "Those who have bought in will notice a more flexible interface
and some new features."
But ultimately Rubin pointed out that Windows 8 is still a in-between
point for Microsoft, something that is paralleled by the company's
presence in the technology industry as it searches for a CEO to replace
Steve Ballmer and plans to complete its purchase of Nokia.
As Rubin said, "Microsoft is still on a transition journey."
Google Will Update Chrome for Windows XP Through 2015,
Beyond Microsoft's Support
Microsoft may be ending Windows XP support in just six months, but Google
wants to breath just a little more life into the old OS. Google announced
today that it'll be continuing support for Chrome on Windows XP through
at least April 2015 a full year after Microsoft stops issuing security
patches on XP. As Google notes, the browser is a major point-of-attack
for malware, and by using an updated browser, XP users might be able to
keep their systems safe for just a little while longer.
Though XP is over a decade old, the metrics firm Net Applications pegs it
as one of the most popular operating systems around today, second only to
Windows 7. For Google, the move could help get businesses on board with
using Chrome, as many begin or try to finish a prolonged upgrade of their
computers to Windows 7, which still seems to be the go-to operating
system for business machines.
Google also hasn't been shy about its attempts to use the Chrome browser
as a Trojan horse for Chrome OS. It's begun building Chrome OS right into
Windows 8, and while it hasn't attempted that anywhere else just yet,
creating an insulated Chrome-only environment could further prolong the
life of an XP machine should Google choose to expand the feature. But
continuing support is hardly just a matter of making a name for itself on
XP: with so many people still using it, there's a good chance that Google
would be leaving plenty of existing Chrome users out to dry if it left
the OS alongside Microsoft.
Lenovo's Sub-$300 Full Windows Tablet
The Miix 2 might not boast an iPad's build quality but at just $299 it is
cheaper than any Apple tablet and offers the full desktop version of
Microsoft Windows 8.1.
When Intel CEO Brian Krzanich announced earlier this week that the cost
of consumer electronics devices was set to tumble thanks to the latest
generation of Intel processors, he clearly wasn't exaggerating.
The Lenovo Miix 2 is an 8-inch full Windows tablet with optional stylus
support. Though not in the premium band, the IPS display offers an
800x1280 pixel resolution and a 178° viewing angle. Inside, there's an
Intel Bay Trail quad core processor, and up to 128GB of storage, plus a
microSD slot for a further 32GB of expansion. It has front (2 megapixel)
and rear (8 megapixel) cameras, weighs just 350g and even comes with the
Family and Student edition of Microsoft Office pre-installed.
"Many users want the convenience of a smaller screen tablet, but do not
want to lose the performance and convenience of a powerful, quad core
Windows 8.1 device. With the Lenovo Miix2 8-inch, users can take advantage
of a small, light form factor without sacrificing performance," said Bai
Peng, vice president and general manager, notebook business unit, Lenovo
Business Group.
But perhaps most impressive is the price. At just $299 it is cheaper than
most notebook computers yet, when paired with a wireless keyboard offers
the features and functionality of a computer.
The Miix 2 will launch later this month and as well as upgraded internal
storage, will also be offered with an optional cover and stylus at extra
cost.
Backdoor Found in D-Link Router Firmware Code
A backdoor found in firmware used in several D-Link routers could allow an
attacker to change a device's settings, a serious security problem that
could be used for surveillance.
Craig Heffner, a vulnerability researcher with Tactical Network Solutions
who specializes in wireless and embedded systems, found the vulnerability.
Heffner wrote on his blog that the Web interface for some D-Link routers
could be accessed if a browser's user agent string is set to
xmlset_roodkcableoj28840ybtide.
Curiously, if the second half of the user agent string is reversed and the
number is removed, it reads "edit by joel backdoor," suggesting it was
intentionally placed there.
"My guess is that the developers realized that some programs/services
needed to be able to change the device's settings automatically," Heffner
wrote. "Realizing that the Web server already had all the code to change
these settings, they decided to just send requests to the Web server
whenever they needed to change something.
"The only problem was that the Web server required a username and
password, which the end user could change. Then, in a eureka moment, Joel
jumped up and said, 'Don't worry, for I have a cunning plan'!"
The technology industry has been rattled by documents leaked by former
NSA contractor Edward Snowden, which indicate the spy agency pursues ways
to subvert security measures through backdoors. But developers sometimes
make mistakes and in other cases, make poor security decisions.
With access to a router's settings, an attacker could potentially steer
someone's Internet traffic through another their own server and read
their unencrypted data traffic.
To find other vulnerable D-Link router models, Heffner used a special
search engine called Shodan, which is designed to find any device
connected to the Internet, ranging from refrigerators to CCTV cameras to
routers.
The affected models likely include D-Link's DIR-100, DI-524, DI-524UP,
DI-604S, DI-604UP, DI-604+, TM-G5240 and possibly the DIR-615. The same
firmware is also used in the BRL-04UR and BRL-04CW routers made by
Planex, Heffner wrote.
A Web search turned up the suspicious user agent string in a post on a
Russian forum three years ago, Heffner wrote, which means somebody has
known about it for a while.
D-Link officials could not be immediately reached for comment on Monday.
Is The Millennial Generation Turning Its Back on Technology?
A global survey towards high-tech attitudes finds that while the younger
generation believes technology is having a dehumanizing effect, older
women, particularly those in emerging countries, are becoming its biggest
champions.
The Intel-commissioned "Intel Innovation Barometer" survey of 12,000
adults from Brazil, China, France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan and the
United States finds that while Millennials (i.e., those aged 18-24)
haven't completely given up on technology and believe that it holds the
key to one day solving a number of global issues, 61 percent believe that
it is currently making people less human. Despite being the digital
native generation, 59 percent of young adults also feel that society has
become too reliant on technology.
"At first glance it seems millennials are rejecting technology, but I
suspect the reality is more complicated and interesting," said Dr.
Genevieve Bell, anthropologist and director of Interaction and Experience
Research at Intel Labs. "A different way to read this might be that
millennials want technology to do more for them, and we have work to do
to make it much more personal and less burdensome."
Indeed, over one-third of the younger generation (36%) want technology to
become more intuitive and contextually aware so that systems, services
and devices learn about users and anticipate their needs over time.
This would also explain why Millennials are the most willing age group
when it comes to anonymously sharing personal information and data because
it will improve user experience. But as well as disappointment with the
current state of tech, the younger generation is overwhelmingly positive
about the role it could play in the future and have great hope that
innovations will positively impact education (57%), transportation (52%)
and healthcare (49%).
The current enthusiasm that the younger generation lacks is more than made
up for by that of older women. Globally, women over 45 years of age are
slightly more likely than younger women to say that people don't use
enough technology. They also are more likely to say that technology makes
people more human, helping to deepen their relationships.
This positive attitude peaks in emerging markets. For example, in China,
70 percent of women over 45 believe we aren't using technology enough,
while across China, Brazil, India and Indonesia women of all ages believe
innovations will drive better education (66%), transportation (58%), work
(57%) and healthcare (56%). Women in emerging markets would also be more
willing to sacrifice some privacy in return for better tech services -
86 percent would be willing to install software that tracks their work
habits and 77 percent would be happy to use a smart toilet if it
monitored health.
"Women historically have become avid users of technology when that
technology solves a problem, helps us organize our lives and that of our
families as well as aids us in saving time and time shifting," added
Bell. "I have to wonder whether this data is showing that women are
optimistic because they see technology innovation that is starting to
deliver on the promise of better fitting into the rhythms of our days,
helping with our specific concerns and needs, and creating new compelling
experiences that women and men alike will find valuable."
But as well as along gender lines, the willingness to share data is more
pronounced in high-income households - 81 percent of high-income
individuals would be prepared to anonymously share lab results and other
medical information if it would further scientific research into
illnesses. Only 66 percent of those on low incomes (and 71 percent of
mid-income respondents) are prepared to do the same. However, when asked
if they would be prepared to share this information in return for
low-cost medication, the figure for low-income respondents jumps to
80 percent.
Council in California City Endorses Apple Campus Plan
Apple's plans for a massive new campus in Silicon Valley that co-founder
Steve Jobs likened to a spaceship have cleared a major hurdle.
The San Jose Mercury News reports the City Council in Cupertino, where
Apple's current headquarters is also based, unanimously approved the
estimated $5 billion project on Tuesday.
Plans call for nearly 3.5 million square feet of new office space, a
1,000-seat auditorium and a fitness center on the 176-acre campus. Apple
would demolish existing office and research and development buildings.
The main, ring-shaped building would be a little more than 2.8 million
square feet alone. The project is expected to be completed in 2016.
The city's planning commission gave its endorsement earlier this month
and the project only needs one more largely perfunctory vote from the
City Council next month.
Apple now employs about 16,000 people in and around Cupertino.
Flossie, The 50-year-old Computer, To Be Resurrected
Efforts to reboot one of the oldest surviving mass-produced computers are
under way in Milton Keynes.
The National Museum of Computing has taken delivery of what it believes
is the last ICT 1301 computer to ever have a chance of working again.
The machine - known as Flossie - had originally been used to produce exam
results for students at the University of London.
The museum hopes to put it on display by 2016.
One of its trustees said Flossie was one of the first computers
specifically designed for use by UK businesses rather than scientific
institutions.
"Before this time, computers were absolutely huge with valves and
thousands of vacuum tubes and would get incredibly hot, making them
difficult to house in a normal business," Kevin Murrell, a trustee of the
museum, told the BBC. Flossie being unloaded The museum acknowledges that
the machine is likely to have been damaged in transit
"But this machine used transistors, which used very little power. That
meant you could have more of them in the same space, you didn't need the
complex cooling equipment and you wouldn't require the high power that
earlier computers needed."
ICT 1301s had a footprint of about 6m by 7m (20ft by 23ft) and weighed
some five tonnes. They came with a punch card reader and printer built
in to their body, which were used to enter and save data by means of
creating a series of holes in a piece of stiff paper.
"For medium-sized companies that wanted to computerise their invoicing,
their accounting or their payroll, this gave them the help to do that,"
added Mr Murrell.
The University of London bought its machine in the 1960s and used it for
accounting and administration tasks in addition to generating GCE
examination results for students in England and Wales.
It was later sold at scrap metal value to a group of students before
eventually ending up at a farm in Kent, whose owner donated the machine
to the museum.
Other editions of the machine were later used as props thanks to their
arresting design. Doctor Who, the Pink Panther and the James Bond movie
The Man with the Golden Gun all featured ICT 1301s.
Over the years more than 150 computers were created, but the charity said
it was only aware of three others being left in existence, all of which
are beyond repair.
"One of the problems with computers as museum artefacts is that when they
are switched off they are fairly boring - it's fairly difficult to learn
anything from them," explained Mr Murrell.
"So ideally we want it switched on, and once we've restored it we will be
able to run the original software.
"We will have caused some damage in the move, so we need to deal with
that, but I think in about three years' time we will have a properly
demonstrable machine."
=~=~=~=
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