Nexus 6 deep-dive review: A supersized smartphone that shines
The line between smartphones and tablets is officially gone.
It's been blurring for a while now, but with the size of phone screens pushing up to 6 in. and tablet displays dipping as low as 7 in., I think it's safe to say that the way we categorize a device has become more or less arbitrary. They're all Internet-connected, and they can all even make phone calls; the only real difference is that some of them need the Internet connection to make and receive calls, while others do not.Continue Reading....
Tech News
Verizon Wireless Declares Nov. 26 Connection Day
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season is about to become a little more enjoyable. Verizon Wireless has declared Nov. 26 "Connection Day" - a day designed to say "Thanks" to our customers by giving them the gift of data, special offers and content.
Verizon is giving its customers the gift of 1GB of data at no extra cost with great promotions courtesy of Amazon, Apple, Boingo Wireless, Conde Nast, Gogo Technologies, JetBlue and Pandora.
Starting today, MORE Everything customers who register for connection day at www.verizon.com/connectionday are eligible to immediately receive 1GB of shareable data on their account. Continue Reading....
Microsoft Fixes 19-Year-Old Windows Bug
Microsoft Corp issued patches on Tuesday to fix a bug in its Windows operating system that remained undiscovered for 19 years.
The bug, which is present in every version of Microsoft Windows from Windows 95 onward, allows an attacker to remotely take over and control a computer.
IBM Corp's cybersecurity research team discovered the bug in May, describing it as a "significant vulnerability" in the operating system.
"The buggy code is at least 19 years old and has been remotely exploitable for the past 18 years," IBM X-Force research team said in its blog on Tuesday.
Elon Musk and ex-Google man mull flinging 700 internet satellites into orbit
Space rocket baron Elon Musk is reportedly in tentative talks with industry players and regulatory bods to build 700 internet satellites weighing less than 250 pounds each.
The billionaire is discussing the plans with Greg Wyler, according to the Wall Street Journal.
As noted by the WSJ, Wyler, who founded WorldVu Satellites Ltd, has a big lump of radio spectrum. But the plans face financial, tech and regulatory obstacles. And Musk's involvement in the proposed project isn't a done deal yet, insiders said. Continue Reading....
Americans Say They Want Privacy, but Act as if They Don’t
Americans say they are deeply concerned about privacy on the web and their cellphones. They say they do not trust Internet companies or the government to protect it. Yet they keep using the services and handing over their personal information.
That paradox is captured in a new survey by Pew Research Center. It found that there is no communications channel, including email, cellphones or landlines, that the majority of Americans feel very secure using when sharing personal information. Of all the forms of communication, they trust landlines the most, and fewer and fewer people are using them. Continue Reading....
Microsoft Word free app is a chart-topper on the Apple app store
A day after Microsoft surprised everyone by making Microsoft Office apps free for iOS and Android users, the app has climbed to the tops of the Apple App store, CNET has reported. Among free apps, Microsoft Word now ranks No. 2 – leaving behind the Facebook app.
The app was launched last year on the iOS and Android app stores, after CEO Satya Nadella took the helm of Microsoft. The move was taken in order to get Office to as many devices as it could, given the fact that Microsoft’s Windows Phone OS occupied only a small portion of the mobile market. But in order to use the app, users would previously have to purchase the Office 365 subscription. Though the Office app was free to download, users without a subscription were only allowed to view files. Continue Reading....
Cyborg cockroaches can hear you call and scurry to the rescue
Researchers at North Carolina State University have figured out how to make cyborg cockroaches -- or biobots, as they call them -- pick up sound and seek out its source. So one day, the first responders to a rubble-filled disaster scene might be rescue roaches.
Cyborg cockroaches aren't new: They came on the scene a few years ago, with DIY enthusiasts jumping to create their own remote-controlled bugs. It's not all that difficult to perform the necessary surgery and hook a roach up to a computerized backpack.
But while some people find it fun to steer a cockroach around, the obvious application is in search-and-rescue: Cockroaches are tiny and resilient, perfect for getting through the nooks and crannies of a disaster zone. If rescue workers can control them and have them carry mics and cameras, they can be used to track down survivors. Continue Reading....
